The Potter Cauldron of Ideas
by Kratos1989
Summary: A collection of ideas for possible Harry Potter stories.
1. Foreword

**FOREWORD:**

Hello to you all, my name is Kratos1989 and I am here to present to you my collection of story ideas for a certain wizard kid we grew up with.

As followers for my stories, you would probably know about story collection labelled **[Foreign Entity Series]** and my other account **rwby1989** where I have written ideas for everything related to the Rooster Teeth Series RWBY. Ever since I have written my crack story of Harry Potter that makes fun of the different tropes known for the series, I kept having odd ideas for the boy, with the poll at the top being the best example. So here I am creating this collection just to get them out of my head so that I can get some space for my other stories. They will span from canon to different Alternate Universes, mostly showcasing Harry Potter but possibly others if need be. They may or may not become full-fledged stories in the future since I am still working on my main story **[Draconian Fate Works]**. Some of it would be related to the poll on the profile page and I would likely write them out as a teaser.

As with those other story idea collections, I am open to suggestions from you guys and to people who wish to adopt my story ideas. My only request for adoption is that you ask nicely and credit me to your creation.

Before continuing on, I will make this clear that I have guidelines to follow and I would like you to respect that and not pester me. The guidelines are as follow:

1) **No Slash / No Boys Love / No Creature Boy Slash / No Mpreg **\- I have no idea how these came about but I will not be touching them (Especially the last one!). I am planning on proper pairings. If there is going to be multi, I will try to make it reasonable of sorts.

2) **No Betrayed and sent to Azkaban Harry** \- I do not understand the logic for such a trope so I would not be writing that bullshit.

3) **No smut / Hardcore Gore / Violence** \- we have regulations for reasons. I will try to fit in enough action without too much blood, and I do not want to offend others. I also would like to keep my stories in the system.

4) **Selective character attacks** \- there is bashing, and then there is Bashing. I will try to limit this.

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My interpretation of characters based on fanfictions and movies:

1) **Good, well-meaning Dumbledore** \- Richard Harris from the first two movies.

2) **Bad, manipulative, For-The-Greater-Good Dumbledore** \- Michael Gambon from the other films.

3) **Bad Weasleys** \- Usually Ronald, Molly and sometimes Ginny for their greed.

4) **Good Snape** \- Someone truly wanting to repent and just hates getting reminded by the past.

5) **Bad Snape** \- Someone who is consumed by hate. I want to try and make this one truly a serpent as opposed to being a whining bastard.

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If that is understood, we may commence with the collection. Tally Ho!


	2. The Spell Craft System (Poll)

**Disclaimer:**

I solemnly swear that the literature and works of the Harry Potter Verse belong to JK Rowling, Bloomberg and Warner Bros. The only thing I own are the one-shot ideas that popped into my head and whatever OCs I would create for them. This is a work of pure fiction made solely for fun, constructive reviews will be welcomed, flames will be ignored. Any references to characters in real-life or fiction are purely coincidental. If I could make money out of my ideas, it would be nice...

Mischief Managed Damn It!

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**Title:** Harry Potter and The Spell Craft System (Working Title)

**Posted Date:** November 2nd 2019

**Tags:** Competent Harry Potter, Isekai Type Potter (Potter going to another world), Greater Good Dumbledore

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"Now that we are all well-fed from our wonderful feast, it is my pleasure to announce that the goblet is almost ready to make its decision." Excited whispering erupted in the Great Hall of Hogwarts from the students sitting at four long tables that stretched from one end to the other before a hand raised by an old wizard at the front of the hall where the staff table was situated prompted their immediate silence. With a smile, one Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore lowered his hand and continued to address them as he came up beside a giant goblet with blue flames adorning the rim, giving it a mystical atmosphere in the hall.

"I estimate that it requires one more minute. Now, when the champions' names are called, I would ask them please to come up to the top of the Hall, walk along the staff table, and go through into the next chamber" - he indicated the door behind the staff table - "where they will be receiving their first instructions." Dumbledore gave a sweep of his wand and all the lights, save for those in the jack-lanterns hovering in the air, went out silently, creating an eerie quality to the room that merely increased the anticipation of the students as they sat impatiently for the names to be drawn. Dumbledore simply crossed his hands and looked to the goblet, all while mentally preparing for the plan he had set for this night and thinking about all that had passed for the last fifteen years.

When the war was going bad for the Ministry and the Order of the Phoenix, Albus was at his wit's end to end the fight with Voldemort aka Tom Riddle. He had plenty of people from inside and out of the Order telling him to stop holding back and just take the Death Eaters down with lethal force, but he resisted their words for the most, reluctantly allowing a couple of his agents to do so against his will when there was honestly no choice. He wanted to give them a chance to be redeemed, after all there were plenty who were enamored with the promise of power only to be revolted by the true actions and stuck in the ranks of the Death Eaters. There were also a few who were useful for him to keep track of their movements so that he could direct his group to save lives, or if needed to sacrifice to attain victory or for his plans.

But the main reason that he held back was two-fold. The first reason was because he could not risk losing his hold of the Elder Wand to Tom, he was already gaining strength from his dark rituals and his knowledge of the dark arts. Albus needed the extra edge to fight him face-to-face and could not risk losing the allegiance of the wand to Tom, his Death Eaters, his Order, or Merlin forbid, some whining brat who would not understand the severity of it and bragged about it for all to hear.

The second reason was perhaps just as selfish if not more so than the first and certainly a lot more insidious if he had to admit to himself. He wanted Tom and his Death Eaters to eradicate all the houses that did not conform to his ideals of the Greater Good and to eliminate the few opposing members of his Order to ensure total compliance and to prepare for other ideas in mind. Through the use of his spy Severus Snape, Albus had already removed the Bones couple, the McKinnons and other selected people via bad information and ambushes conducted by Death Eaters. Dumbledore also wanted Tom to be feared so much that when once he finally defeated the dark wizard, his name would be forever immortalized as the greatest wizard since Merlin. His takedown of his former brother-in-blood and lover had been perfect, but he knew that plenty had been chomping on his tails for his power and ideas. If he could take down Tom, he would be unstoppable!

... At least, that would have been the case if not a few complications.

Tom had gone a lot further into the war than anticipated and was gaining a lot of ground with his Death Eaters, making good use of the giants, trolls and Dementors at his disposal. His wonton destruction was creating more problems that saw the rise of Barty Crouch's ruthlessness with his authorization of the Unforgivable Curses to fight on even grounds with the Death Eaters. Albus had attempted to reason with the man but got rebuffed for his 'weakness' so he had to counteract with his order to take down the Death Eaters without killing them.

The other reason was more related to the fates deciding that he was not the one to take Tom down. Albus still remembered the evening he conducted his interview with Sybill Trelawney for the role of Divination Professor. He was mentally thinking about the rerouting of the funds from the soon to be removed course when Sybill gotten into a trance and gave a genuine prophecy on the spot. Albus admitted to being a little dumbfounded by it that he missed getting spied on until his brother came along to throw a younger Severus Snape who at that point was already in Voldemort's camp and was trying to be recognized in the Inner Circle.

Albus was initially skeptical about the timing, after all he was about to dismiss her after a disastrous interview, but when he went to check with the Unspeakables from the Department of Mysteries, it was shocking to know that it was authenticated to be true. There was however the question of whom the chosen one would be, and privately to himself, who was the dark lord mentioned in the prophecy. Despite the warnings by the Unspeakable, the old wizard steadfastly ignored them and assured himself that it had to be Tom who was the dark lord, not Albus, and went about trying to find the child that would lead him to victory.

He ended up having two candidates in the form of the newborns by the Potters and the Longbottoms.

Sounds of a roaring flame broke his thoughts and drew his attention to the Goblet of Fire as it began to burn brighter in the darkened room. Albus raised his hand in time for the flames to turn a deep crimson red and a scrap of burnt parchment to be pushed out of it for Albus to grab it in mid-air.

"The champion for Durmstrang... **Victor Krum**!" The sounds of applause filled the Great Hall of Hogwarts as the grumpy looking Bulgarian stood up from his seat and made his way to the chambers at the side, with the headmaster of said academy dressed in thick fur shouting his congratulations to him. Albus politely clapped along with the others as he waited for the next parchment to call forth the champion for Beauxbatons and his thoughts continued from where it ended.

After determining the two candidates, Albus kept an eye on the two to see which would be the one for Tom to fight and whom Albus would claim as his chosen player. It was a tough pick as both seemed to be somewhat docile, and their parents were not making it easy. Well at least the parents and grand matriarch of the Longbottom were stubborn; when it came to the Potters, it would be Lily Potter nee Evans that was the biggest obstacle. Unlike James Potter, Sirius Black and Remus Lupin, she was someone who refused to trust him solely on his word and often looked around for information to show otherwise. She never did trust him that much during her time in Hogwarts, especially regarding the punishments of the purebloods who picked on her and others. She also believed that a heavier hand was needed with the Death Eaters so that no more innocents had to be sacrificed, something that was a major contention between her and a few of the Order members including her husband. Alastor Moody and a few hardened members were on her side though and would often back her up particularly after a hard raid that saw the bodies of children on the ground, citing that a harder punishment was required to stop such matters from happening.

Perhaps it was a little vindictive of him, but Albus decided that it had to be the Potters that would be chosen for the task. Mostly it was because he had seen how the young boy was already displaying great feats of wandless magic that often left the walls stuck in a certain color or objects transfigured almost permanently until the adults could overpower the magic to cancel it out. Another was the thinking pattern of Tom; he would believe that as a fellow half-blood, he would pose the greater challenge and there was something poetic that a half-blood orphan would take down another who was loved by family.

And the last bit was Albus could not stand that muggleborn woman. She kept on undermining his orders and at times went behind his back just so she could protect Harry. Not to mention with Alice Longbottom double-teaming with her, it was difficult to gain control of the two families. Lily Potter must go for the Greater Good of his plan.

It did not take much on his end to do it, the traitorous Peter Pettigrew practically did the work for him as Tom was targeting the Potters aggressively, slowly drawing their will to fight away like blood from their veins. With a quick suggestion to Sirius, they moved the position of Secret Keeper to Pettigrew and giving Albus the position of witness alongside Sirius and Alice. After which he made sure to cut off communications from both sides to drive the families to despair so as to make sure they could only rely on him.

Then came Halloween, the night Tom Riddle killed the Potters and in turn vanquished by young Harry. He had monitors that were checking on them so he could tell Hagrid when to find them and bring Harry to him. When they met at Privet Drive Little Whinging where his muggle blood relatives were staying, Albus had to sigh as he laid eyes on the now famous scar on young Harry's forehead. He could practically taste the dark miasma issuing from it and knew that this was the mark prophesized, that meant the boy was going to fight the dark lord in the future. The only issue was that he needed to be there to ensure he could guide the boy to his ultimate destiny. That was the reason why he ignored the will which stipulated that Harry was not to be raised with Lily's sister Petunia Dursley nee Evans, and ignored the warnings given by Minerva. The boy must look to Albus for guidance to ensure that total victory could be obtained.

After that, it was a small matter of getting Sirius out of the way by allowing Barty Crouch to send him to Azkaban without a trial, not a hard thing to do since Barty hated all the dark families with a passion. Alice Longbottom getting attacked by the Lestranges and Crouch Junior was a bonus of sorts as this allowed him to seal the will and to declare himself magical guardian while the chaos around Crouch would prevent anyone from looking too closely. He could not access the Potter accounts because of Lily adding in extra provisions to them, but at the least he could access some of the gold from the trust vault set up. Then it became a waiting game for Harry to enter the magical world again.

At least, it should have been the case.

Albus admitted to being busy for the first few months to reassure the populace and his international contacts that the war was currently over, and to seek aid for much of the damages. When he finally came back to his office to check on the child, his heart practically stopped when he realized none of his instruments were working. He may have blasted parts of the school's wards to shreds when he apparated to the house and banged on the door to get the residents and find out what happened to the child, only to realize they never had the child to begin with.

A quick look into their minds revealed the scene where they were arguing about the child and when the heavyset man yelled that he would not have the child as his final word, the basket containing the child vanished in a bright burst of light. It would seem that while Petunia was the blood relation, magic had recognized Vernon's authority as the head of house and removed Harry accordingly, and in so doing removed him as the key piece of his plans.

This was not good to Albus's plans at all.

Despite Albus's attempts to cover up the truth, the goblins evidently had their own method of checking and found out about Harry missing and the funds being misappropriated. They had made a fair bit of noise to get the money and heirlooms back, and that led to the point where Rita Skeeter would have picked up on it, and in the year when Harry would have been 5 years old, released the news of his disappearance, his misplaced money and making sure to point the finger at Albus.

Pandemonium, that was the best way of describing the reactions of the populace.

In summary, he had lost a fair bit of political power, dismissed from the ICW, currently on probation from the Wizengamot, banned from Gringotts and the fair bit of respect from the populace. The dark families were on one hand gleeful for the chance to bring him down or reduce his influence, but at the same time they were disturbed at his handling of an heir to one of the oldest families in Britain. The 'light' families were appalled at the handling and the fact he tried to take gold away from a child too young to remember his parents. The neutrals were the most silent in words but the most damning in actions as they demanded that he can't be allowed to have any guardianship over children and to be reviewed for the next few years. It was only with plenty of favors called in and perhaps a touch of blackmail that Albus hung on to his position of headmaster and even then, it was a close deal.

All in all, it was not a good time for Albus, and it got worse when the year 1991 came about, the year Harry Potter was supposed to attend. The staff with the exception of Severus had jammed themselves into the room where the invitations were written for the prospective students, hoping to get an address or some indication that the boy was alive and able to come to Hogwarts. To their sheer disappointment the quill skipped Harry's name altogether and went on to write the next addressee, enforcing the image that Harry was still missing. It was then driven home on the night of the sorting where his name was called out by a teary-eyed Minerva who was praying that he was perhaps late to the school. No one stepped forward that night, and the fears of all were confirmed.

Harry did not come to Hogwarts that year. He was still missing to them all.

And as if it were not bad enough, the troubles that came merely enforced Albus's desires to find the boy at all costs.

The sounds of the roaring fire prompted him to lift his arm to catch the parchment automatically and bring it to his eyes to call out the name.

"The champion for Beauxbatons... **Fleur Delacour**!" The sounds of applause sounded the halls again as the beautiful Veela from France rose from her seat elegantly and made her way to the chambers, ignoring the wolf-whistles from the hormonal males and the sobbing of some of her female classmates. Silence came again and there was now a tension in the hall coming from the students of Hogwarts as they looked to the goblet with an intense glare as though they could scare the goblet into giving out the name of the Hogwarts representative faster. Albus merely focused on his thoughts as he waited for the next name. Not an easy task as it was regarding his recent failures.

In the year that Harry Potter was supposed to be in his castle, Albus had prepared for traps to see proof that Tom had survived his encounter and to test Harry if he had grown the way he had intended for him. With his non-appearance, Albus was forced to use Neville Longbottom to see if he had anything to go for him. Sadly, it was a resounding no; the boy was suffering more confidence issues due to the overbearing nature of Augusta and his skills were barely scrapping the cauldron besides Herbology, he was certainly not giving about good first impressions as a Gryffindor or as Albus's possible backup. That year also saw a troll entering the school and almost killing a muggleborn witch named Hermione Granger who had wanted to leave because of the bullying she had experienced from Gryffindor since her arrival, but due to the bylaws stating that she would need an education or risk losing her magic and memories, she instead demanded a resorting that saw her become a Ravenclaw. Unicorns were found killed with their blood drained and the security was breached a few times, it was only thanks to the fact that he was using a fake stone inside the Mirror of Erised that helped Albus keep Tom long enough to confirm his existence. This was the proof that he had survived, now he needed to know the method and the whereabouts of his chosen weapon.

The year 1992 was also a disaster with the opening of the elusive Chamber of Secrets made by from Salazar Slytherin. Petrified students, murdered roosters and warning left on walls in blood set the scene for terrified muggleborns, half-bloods and others who were pro-muggle. It did not help matters with Lucius Malfoy using his forked tongue to first get Hagrid into Azkaban and later push Albus out of the headmaster's seat. That at least did not last long when word came of Daphne Greengrass, Michael Corner and Hannah Abbot getting petrified, and Ginevra Molly Weasley having been taken by the monster, prompting the Ministry to finally send some Aurors to investigate the matter. It was somewhat disheartening seeing a fair number of students giving him and the staff the stink-eye because action was only taken after a pure-blood was petrified or taken. While they had found her, the chamber and the cursed diary used to possess her, they never found the Basilisk that was attacking the students, knowledge of it being the courtesy of Miss Granger who was petrified at the library while finding clues to the attacks. It was small comfort for Albus to know that the diary was a horcrux that once contained a portion of Tom's soul, at least he now had proof that this was the method he used to survive the night.

An even more tragic fate came when Healers checked the girl and found that she had barely managed to survive her ordeal at the cost of her magic taken away, rendering her just barely a squib. The Healers stated that she could eventually get back her magic but it would be years, not to mention the amount of dark taint on her from the possession got them worried that she would still be under the influence. It was a distraught Arthur and Molly who came to withdraw her from Hogwarts and take her back home, with their last words cursing Albus for his inaction and no longer supporting him. Albus admitted to himself that he was not too concerned about that; what truly worried him greatly was the diary clearly held a piece of Tom's soul but now bared minimum traces with no signs of damage, and based on Ginerva's statement of Tom coming out of the pages, that could mean that one copy of Voldemort was out and about in a younger and stronger body.

The year 1993 saw the escape of Sirius Black from Azkaban, a feat that many had thought impossible and feared for their lives. The guard's explanations of hearing the Black repeating "He's at Hogwarts." made the Minister believe that the criminal was delusional into believing that Harry Potter was in Hogwarts and sent Dementors to the academy to protect the students. Albus decided to hire Remus Lupin for the DADA position with the side duty of tracking Sirius Black since he would know his habits well, and that he really could not afford to face the man at the moment.

That year was considered the most miserable of Hogwarts for the past century; students falling ill or getting depressed by the mere presence of Dementors, cold and wet weather throughout the year and most serious of the lot, at least five students were almost kissed by the deadly guards. OWLs and NEWTs were at an all-time low due to disruptions caused by the creatures. Towards the end of the year, Hermione Granger and Neville Longbottom had encountered Sirius Black and somehow found Peter Pettigrew out of nowhere, creating a situation where the two children managed to convince the escapee that having Peter alive would serve his situation better. They almost lost control of the situation with the appearance of Severus, Remus and the Dementors all in one spot, but the two were able to get Peter to the Great Hall where one Amelia Bones was contacted early on to bring them in. Within the month, Peter Pettigrew and Barty Crouch were summarily sentenced to Azkaban with the added twist of finding one Crouch Junior under the Imperius Curse in his home and subsequently given the Dementor's Kiss, while Sirius Black was found innocent and cleared of charges.

And then Sirius Black found out about Harry's disappearance.

To put it nicely, every student in Hogwarts fled the Great Hall when Sirius Black slammed the doors open, stomped his way over to the staff table and proceeded to unload both wands at Albus, yelling at the old wizard's incompetence and his theft of the vaults, all while mindlessly blocking stunning and body binding curses sent by the staff. After a tirade that lasted a full twenty minutes without leaving the Great Hall, Sirius went straight back to Gringotts where he made sure the Potter vaults and properties were properly taken care of before setting forth to find clues on his whereabouts, assisted by Remus who had to quit due to Severus letting out his secret of being a werewolf.

Then came the disaster of the Quidditch World Cup of 1994. What should have been a joyous event was marred by the attack of the Death Eaters and later the reappearance of Voldemort's Dark Mark. Tensions were high and the Ministry was not being very effective, especially with the recent news of Peter having escaped his confinement roughly a week before the start of the year. The populace was not pacified by the Ministry's weak assurances and it would feel that the tournament may be their final shot of getting some positive publicity.

Albus almost felt pity for them for what he was going to give them.

"Finally, the champion for Hogwarts is... **Cedric Diggory**!" The Great Hall seemed to shake from the screams and cheers of the student population as the aforementioned young man rose from his place and made his way to the chambers. Albus fixed a smile on his face and turned to the students while counting down the eventual twist to the evening.

"Excellent! Now we have our three champions for the tournament. I am sure I can count on all of you, including those from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, to give your champions every ounce of support you can muster. By helping to cheer them on you will be able to contribute to the tournament and..."

The sounds of roaring fire stopped his speech and drew everyone's attention to the goblet that started to change the color of its flames again, then with a big burst of flame it spit out another burnt piece of parchment that Albus caught with his hand and brought it to his eyes. Inwardly he sighed with relief and anticipation; one of the known facts of the goblet was no one could enter the name of a dead person, so any name given out by the goblet would indicate the person was alive. And considering that he used the subject's blood for this, it was both assuring him that the subject is alive and reinforcing the contract to prepare for the next part of the plan.

"**Harry Potter**."

The silence that came was stifling as it took time for the populace to absorb the words into their minds. Then like a damn breaking, people started talking to one another, many carrying expressions of disbelief, suspicions and above all, hope that their savior would return. By the staff table reactions were mixed. Many were in denial that the name was brought out of the goblet, Hagrid was practically shaking in his chair with nervousness and joy that the boy was still alive, Severus was scowling heavier than usual while Minerva was looking at Albus with narrowed eyes, prompting the old wizard to sigh mentally. She had lost a fair bit of confidence in him when she found out about Harry's disappearance and the past couple of years merely destroyed the remainder when Harry did not step into Hogwarts. No doubt she was already suspecting him for this, but she could not stop it without risking the boy's magic.

Now to start the second part.

Albus raised his wand and fired off a cannon shot to silence the students and grabbed their attention. "It would seem that someone has consider this to be a joke to submit his name. I will ask that the person who did this step forward and you would not be punished too severely." No one moved as he would know, but he kept the act of looking around the hall with a serious expression. "Very well then, the fact that no one comes forward means I must consider that no one did this. In that case..." He turned to face the goblet and placed a hand on the goblet.

"Harry Potter has been chosen to take part in the tournament. By the magic of the Goblet, we require him to appear before us to attend it." In response, the goblet's flames flared all the way to the ceiling, its color changing from a deep crimson to an eerie green to a deep ocean blue and to a deadly black, its power seeming to challenge the protections of Hogwarts as Albus could feel the wards straining to contain the goblet's summoning power. Then something shifted and the flames twisted upon itself and hovered above the space between the tables of Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff. The power of the goblet increased and the students were starting to move away from the area out of fear that something could go wrong, but as the one who activated the goblet feature, Albus could tell that the goblet had found the one he had been seeking and was retrieving him back.

He had gone too far to be stopped.

Harry Potter _will_ be found and brought back to him.

Voldemort _will_ be vanquished, with or without the cooperation of Harry Potter.

For the Greater Good, Harry Potter _will_ be under his guidance to ensure Britain could be saved.

The flames gave one final roar before something came out of the flames and crashed into the ground, scattering dust and debris around the area. As the dust started to settle to reveal a shape, Albus could only think of one thing.

_**Let the games begin.**_


	3. Alternate Education (Poll)

**Disclaimer:**

I solemnly swear that the literature and works of the Harry Potter Verse belong to JK Rowling, Bloomberg and Warner Bros. The only thing I own are the one-shot ideas that popped into my head and whatever OCs I would create for them. This is a work of pure fiction made solely for fun, constructive reviews will be welcomed, flames will be ignored. Any references to characters in real-life or fiction are purely coincidental. If I could make money out of my ideas, it would be nice...

Mischief Managed Damn It!

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**Title:** Harry's Alternate Education

**Posted Date:** November 17 2019

**Tags:** Slightly abused Harry, reasonably smart Harry, Harry not going to Hogwarts, Muggleborns / Mundanes common sense, manipulative Dumbledore

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It was a regular day at the Leaky Cauldron of London, with Tom greeting guests and serving food to his customers while occasionally talking to a familiar face or two. Tom enjoyed his work and life without much hustle, though he would welcome the occasional change in normality depending on whether it was good change or not. One such example happened three days ago when Hagrid came through the door, bringing what looked to be a would-be student for Hogwarts until he got a better look at him and realize that it was none other than Harry Potter, The-Boy-Who-Lived. He was a lot smaller than Tom had expected and a touch shy around everyone, but then again that may have been expected since the story around the block was him being raised by his muggle relatives supposedly for his protection. Tom was not sure if that was the wise decision, but it was Dumbledore who claimed to be so, so it shall be the case. Tom did feel a little sorry for the boy as he was getting a little confused at everyone crowding around him, he could only imagine how bad it would be when the boy hit Hogwarts.

At least he got more business that day when the word had spread of young Harry's reappearance. The last time he recalled his bar being that busy was when news of You-Know-Who's defeat by Harry Potter came about. There were plenty of patrons coming in and a lot more Galleons hitting his bar-top for more Fire Whiskey. He would wager that on the day of young Harry's arrival to Hogwarts, it would be a similar deal.

A shout from one of the patrons drew his attention, making him almost bump into the young boy who was passing by him. At a glance, the boy was very short, barely reaching past his waist, wearing somewhat oversized clothes and a red cap covering his hair. A quick apology to Tom and the boy was off to the back room where the entrance to Diagon Alley was.

_'__Ah, another muggle-born eager for magic.'_ Tom chuckled at the common sight. There was always one or two that passed his bar just to reach the alley so that they could see more of the magic that would be with them for a long while, although Tom was also a little solemn at the reminder that they would not have it easy with the whole blood bigotry going on. Even if You-Know-Who was gone, the majority of his followers were still out and about claiming the stupid 'Imperious Curse' defense while lining the pockets of politicians with blood-soaked Galleons. It did not help that with the number of pure-bloods decreasing in proportion to the rather alarming rise of muggle-borns, there were plenty blaming them for losing their magic, with the more extreme bigots claiming that the muggle-borns were stealing their magic. Tom was afraid that any war would occur and contrary to many people, he did not believe that they could afford to place the burden on Harry Potter or any other child's shoulders. It should be the Aurors, the Ministry, heck any responsible adult who should be taking the fight to them, but with the current political climate, that would be like wishing for the moon.

With a sigh, Tom went back to his business, without realizing the boy who had passed him was looking back at him briefly before taking out a wand and tapping the bricks in the correct sequence to gain entry to the alley. Once through, the boy adjusted his cap to make sure the scar on his forehead was hidden before moving on, his emerald eyes narrowed in concentration for what he had planned.

_'___Good thing Tom did not recognize me, that would have been bad and I can't afford to waste time on it.'__ A certain Harry Potter thought to himself as he looked at the wares of each store, his mind buzzing with all he could see while thinking back to the decision that led him to the alley.

For as long as Harry could remember, his 'family' had treated him with ignorance at best and disdain at their worst, the memories of punishment being at the forefront of his mind. He was always their gofer to dealing with the bags of luggage, their servant when dealing with cooking, gardening and cleaning, and Vernon's and Marge's favourite, target practice for either Vernon's glass bottles or Marge's bulldog. And for the past seven years, he was constantly told that his parents were drunks who died in a car crash and that he was a freak who should have been left in the crash, left at an orphanage for others to abuse, or even to be taken to the ocean to be drowned. That happened more on Vernon's side when unexplained incidents would happen around Harry like him appearing on the roof or one of the teacher's hair turning blue after he hurled insults at Harry.

With all of that over his head, one could forgive Harry for wanting to get away from it all and took the chance given to him by Hagrid when he came to deliver the letter and to bring him here to grab his school items.

That being said, he was still cautious towards adults. After all, in his time in school, anyone he tried to tell about his relatives merely ignored him at best or to blame him for their children's mistakes. Even the principal was more inclined to believe Vernon's tale of Harry being a troubled youth with a criminal record. The only ones nice to him were the old lady at the library who would provide him sanctuary during lunch hours to ensure he had a quiet time and provide him books to read, and the old coach who would make sure he was not in the same exercise group to avoid getting hurt by Dudley. There was a third person who cared for him, but rather disturbingly, the man had disappeared shortly after trying to find more evidence to Harry's abuse with no trace of his whereabouts, with the existing evidence gone without a trace and a couple of adults looking smug.

Those were the genuine adults, there were others who acted nice but Harry could tell they were faking it just to get close enough to hurt him and he made sure not to be connected when some things did happen to them. Oh, the Dursleys tried to blame him all right, but Harry made sure that nothing could be pinned on him when some of his 'freakishness' started to do something to protect him, and he found that he could place 'something' on certain surfaces that acted like remote devices that would go off when those individuals approached them with intent to harm him.

It was that caution that made him monitor the giant sent to introduce him to Magical Britain. Hagrid seemed like a nice fellow if not naive like a child. He was also a follower of this Dumbledore who was the headmaster of Hogwarts, the school that supposedly had a spot for him. A school that evidently knew exactly where he was sleeping in.

The Cupboard Under The Staircase.

There was also the fact that Hagrid somehow possessed the key to a vault that Harry had no knowledge of his entire life. Now he may be eleven and to be under 'adult supervision', but even Harry knew that he was supposed to have it or at least be told about the vault. It did not take much to persuade Hagrid to give him the key, stating that he wanted to find some reminders of his birth parents. A small part of his nicer side was berating him for tricking the nice giant, but the part that was cautious to all adults decided to come out in full force and check all facts, as he could tell that while the giant had no ill intentions, his boss may not be in the same way.

When Harry wanted to ask about his vault, Hagrid was eager to get him out of the bank, stating that he was following Dumbledore's orders to not let him loiter around. Same issue happened when they were at the shops getting the school items, Hagrid kept him from wanting to explore more of the area, citing it was Dumbldore's orders. Hagrid was evidently an avid follower of this Dumbledore, and when the giant blurted out that it was Dumbledore and himself who were involved with his placement with the Dursleys, it took all of Harry's control to hold back his temper at that news. He may have acted a little cooler towards the giant at the end of the trip much to his confusion, but Harry was barely hanging on by threads to ensure he did not explode.

Admittedly, when he got back to an empty Privet Drive, Harry was really excited at the possibility of leaving the house for good, but all of the years of disappointment and what Hagrid had admitted carelessly had rendered him somewhat muted towards the possibility. At the back of his mind, he could almost hear a voice similar to his in a mocking tone telling him that it was just a cruel prank on him, that he would still be stuck with them unless he worked his butt off to get it done. He needed to know more about the world he was entering if there were legal methods of leaving them and any other information about his parents, his fame, Albus Dumbledore, anything that could help him out for this.

So for the next three days Harry speed read the books he had brought and written down the key points, and what he did get was not painting a good picture for him, and it was still lacking vital information that he needed to paint the canvas, which was why he decided to come back to Diagon Alley again while Vernon was still on the road back from the isolated island he had dragged the family to in an attempt to get away from the letters. That was perhaps a good thing for Harry as he could grab what he needed in the house, and depending on his search he might actually take a room at the Leaky Cauldron to get away from them.

Harry was fascinated and therefore distracted by all the magic around him the first-time round, but now that he was getting a second look without being interrupted by Hagrid, Harry was not feeling too enthusiastic about the magical world. He had thought briefly about time stopped in the alley, but a closer look changed that thought to time becoming stagnant without progress. The streets were caked with dirt and the buildings were not built to code standards, or at least whatever standards Harry knew from his own reading at the library. There were only oil lamps and candles being used for the shops and streets, and what he could see in the shops, none of the owners were using electricity or any of the modern comforts. Snippets of conversation revealed much of the denizens' dismissal of those raised normally, and unless he was mistaken, everything was based on the Victorian Period around the 1800s.

Acting as a curious child about to start Hogwarts soon, he went around the different shops to ask about Hogwarts to gauge their opinions. While the majority of them claimed that it was the best in Europe, there were a few who had commented on the declining standards of certain subjects, the attitudes of selected teachers, the supposed curse on the class teaching Defence Against The Dark Arts, and the manner Dumbledore glossed over many important and serious matters that involved bullying or serious injuries to others as though they were just the work of misbehaving children. It was worth noting that the majority who praised the academy were the pure-bloods of certain circles while the detractors were either the mundane-raised half-blood or those considered muggle-borns or first generation wizards and witches.

And then there were the attitudes displayed by the denizens; it was clear to see who were those that came from the outside and those that were raised in Magical Britain on clothing alone, but when one looked at the expressions, there were telling signs. Those new to magic would always have expressions ranging from awe to fear, while those raised in magic tend to regard the former with amusement at best and downright disdain at the absolute worst. The latter from what Harry could tell seemed to belong to the higher echelons of the magical society of Britain, considering the glossy appearance of the robes and the expensive jewelry. That alone told Harry there was a severe gap between the higher class and the working class, let alone those at the bottom of the rungs.

Even the books from the stores appeared skewed in Harry's opinion. It ranged from skipping important facts over certain events that had happened in the past, to rampart speculation over minor issues, and to extreme biasness towards certain species or people in terms of blood status of all things. Evidently the magical citizens believed the 'muggles', a term used to describe those without magical blood, were still using the old methods of transportation by water and land, the latter being the old Ford Car touted as their latest invention. Harry wanted to bang his head against the nearest wall at the outdated text and the stupidity of the denizens. It was not helped by the fact that appeared to be very few publishers in the society; this Bathilda Bagshot had published or co-authored a fair number of books that exaggerated on a few topics and more worryingly made Albus Dumbledore seemed to be a man of no faults, with a couple of books that do have mentions of such faults seemingly beaten into obscurity to ensure no one could question his supposed wisdom.

With all of that around him, Harry was not sure if he was making a mistake to go to Hogwarts if this was their view of the mundanes.

Harry shook his head and made his way to Gringotts, where he was planning to ask a few more questions regarding his vault and other matters. All sorts of questions clouded his mind as he bowed his head politely to the guards before walking through the door, not noticing the smiles on their faces or the surprise from those of the tellers nearby. He went to the shortest queue he could find and politely waited at the end, observing how the customers interacted with the goblin tellers. Harry felt bad for them, they had to work long hours at the cashier dealing with rude customers who held a clear disdain for them or a fear that bordered on paranoia. A quick glance around him gave him the insight that the goblins would be nicer to those who were supposedly raised outside of magic or those giving them the proper respect. With that in mind, he turned back to the front and stepped forward just after the previous customer walked away with an arrogant air. A quick thought to his old fantasy books gave Harry an odd idea for a greeting. It was a stupid idea, but somehow it felt right.

"Good morning, Teller" Harry glanced up at the nameplate before him. "BoneCracker. I hope your business is blooming and your enemies are trembling in fear." That certainly got the attention of the goblin before him as he stopped his writing and looked at Harry with a discerning eye, the sneer from earlier replaced with a curious frown. At the corner of his eye, Harry could see the tellers next to BoneCracker giving him a quick glance at his greeting while he could hear the puzzled mutters of the customers behind him.

"Indeed, young customer. My business is doing well and my enemies fear my progress." The teller eventually answered with a slight tone that indicated he was curious at Harry. "May your vaults grow evermore with the gold of your enemies. How may Gringotts assist you today?" Harry let out a breath that he unconsciously held, relieved that he did not suddenly insult the goblin before him.

"Sir, I would like to make an enquiry about your services." Harry took out his vault key and reached forward to place it on the table. "I was told that I had a vault, but I did not get much information from my first visit, and the guide I had with me did not let me ask any questions. I was hoping if you could tell me, or at least direct me to the appropriate staff member." The goblin reached forward to pick up the key, his eyes still on Harry without blinking. Harry fidgeted but remained standing with his own eyes on BoneCracker and fighting the urge to blink. It seemed to be the right thing to do as BoneCracker gave a light nod that spoke of silent approval before looking at the key and waving a hand over it. He paused on the third pass and looked again at Harry with a raised eyebrow.

"Am I right in assuming you wish to know the full list of services, Mister?" The goblin paused letting Harry step forward and try to reach the table on his toes, the goblin chuckling in his mind at the action and Harry cursing in his mind for being so short.

"Harry Potter sir." Harry did not want the people around to hear him and for a moment thought if this was a good idea, but the goblin nodded again before leaning back and grabbing a sign-card stating the counter was closed. He then wrote something on a piece of parchment that vanished the moment his quill did the last stroke before jumping out of sight, appearing at the foot of the table and by Harry's legs.

"Follow me young one." BoneCrusher started to walk towards the front of the bank where the doors Harry once went through to get to his vault. Despite being taller, Harry had to jog lightly to keep up with the teller, making it an odd sight for those attentive enough to see a young child chasing after an old goblin. The goblin walked through the doors and took a different route from the one Harry took the last time, passing through several doors of varying designs. Harry took glances at them as he went past the doors, noting the different plaques, coat of arms and occasional skulls mounted on them. If Harry dared to guess, those skulls were meant to show the status of the goblins in those rooms, likely managers or directors of the bank. Supposedly the bigger and scarier, the higher the status.

He really did not want to know how they were taken.

"In here." BoneCracker stopped before a door that had a griffin gripping a sword as the coat of arms and knocked three times.

"Enter!" A deep voice called out from inside, to which the goblin opened the door and stepped inside before moving to let Harry in, giving him the chance to look at the decor inside. It was certainly made to intimidate first timers with the white marble floors and dark rock walls, not helped by the battle axe that adorned the wall where one goblin that looked a lot older than BoneCracker and dressed in a dark suit was seated behind a deep red mahogany desk that had several parchments on it. BoneCracker stepped forward to talk to the goblin in their native language in a manner that sounded accusatory before the aged goblin nodded once.

"So, this is the Potter heir that desires our services." The aged goblin turned slowly to face Harry with narrowed eyes, once again making him feel the urge to blink and fidget. "Took you long enough to come here if I may say so."

"If I may ask why, sir?" Harry managed to get that out while maintaining his gaze on the goblin.

"Before I answer that, it is best that you prove you are who you are." A knock on the door drew their attention to a third goblin who came in with a stone basin and a crude looking knife. With a quick glance at Harry, the goblin placed the items on the table, bowed at the old goblin before leaving the room.

"Do you know what this is?" A shake of the head prompted the goblin to continue. "This is a blood identity test. As you can imagine, when you have vaults of gold it is very tempting to waltz right in and claim that you are the owner of the vault. We at Gringotts do not like thieves, so this is a way of testing whether the person says they are who they are. And being someone of your fame" The aged goblin raised an eyebrow "you can imagine how many tried to pull the wool on us."

"I understand." Harry nodded while using the motion to swallow discretely. "So what should I do?"

"All you need to do take this knife, make a small cut on your hand and put in at least seven drops of your blood into the basin." BoneCracker joined the conversation at this point, taking up the knife and gesturing at the stone basin with it. "The basin will determine whether you are the real person. Better pray you are." The two goblins sprouted very scary smiles with teeth showing. "Otherwise you will be wishing that you did not try to rob us." Harry gulped as he looked at the knife before taking a deep breath and the knife from the goblin.

_'___Well, I have gone this far. Time to take the plunge.'__ With that thought, Harry placed the sharp edge to his left palm and pulled it, his twitching eye being the only indicator of pain as the sharp edge cut easily into the flesh. Lifting his hand over the basin, Harry squeezed it tightly to let the blood drip into the basin, stopping when the drop count exceeded seven quickly. The aged goblin waved a hand above the basin, making the contents glow brightly for a while before green symbols appeared around the rim.

"Congratulations, you are who you say you are." The goblin waved another hand to vanish the contents before directing a finger at Harry's bleeding hand, making it glow briefly. Harry watched with fascination at the cut healing before his eyes and the hand now looking healthier than he recalled.

"That is awesome!" Harry could not help that remark as he flexed his fingers and looked keenly at the palm. The goblins chuckled at his reaction, finding it a fresh change from the normal.

"Now that we got that settled." The aged goblin folded his hands together and looked Harry in the eye. "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Barchoke, and aside from providing financial services to potential customers, I am also the current account manager for the Potter Family." That definitely got Harry's attention and he sat back straight as the goblins looked to him solemnly.

"We have much to discuss, Heir Potter."

It was four hours later that Harry walked out of the bank, his mind bursting with all the information he had gathered from his discussion with the account manager and his emotions acting like he was on a roller coaster with no end at sight. He only got a small bit of knowledge from Hagrid and the books about his identity, but to hear from the goblins that his family was one of the oldest and wealthiest families in Britain that spanned nearly as long and as far as the Arthurian period, and had a hand in a few important places, including the placement of the current monarchy of muggle Britain, made him pinch himself a few times just to see if he was dreaming, much to the amusement of the account manager and BoneCracker.

The vault he came to the previous time was apparently his trust vault solely for educational purposes, with the Potter Family Vaults under lockdown as per the standard procedure and the word of his parents evidently. Something that was taken seriously as he was told there had been attempts by impostors to get the fortune and evidently there was money taken out of his trust vault supposedly for his upbringing at the Dursleys, though as pointed out the amount was a lot more than it should. Harry refuted any claims that he had received the money and told them about his livelihood before asking them to reclaim the money and to change his vault keys.

Harry made a note to never piss the goblins off when he told them about the abuse. The looks on their faces made him almost feeling some pity for the Dursleys and whoever took his money when they agreed to reclaim the money among other matters, with a quarter of whatever interest gathered to be given to them for a job done well.

Keyword, almost.

The bit about his fame spawning books was certainly not welcomed to him considering they were done without his permission or without paying anything to use his name, not to mention they were ridiculous in their writing and they were not being categorized as fiction in the stores. He had read some of it at Flourish and Blotts before arriving at Gringotts, and had a hard time from containing his incredulity and rage at the writings. Considering his first time in the alley, Harry was afraid that people would take it as gospel and would use it to base their observations of him, and if there was anything he had learned from Vernon watching television, people loved to trash and tear down their celebrities or idols.

There was also the bit about the student fees that made Harry wary when he went to buy his books, a just point that Barchoke was more than happy to illustrate with diagrams to show that the school had been steadily increasing the fees to accommodate the teaching services in light of diminishing numbers. While the latest increases could be pointed at the war for the cause, it was shown that the blood status had played into the system as the purebloods only had to pay a relatively small amount, with the half-bloods like Harry having to pay double that amount and the muggle-borns paying almost triple at that. From the examples and the brochures BoneCracker had procured of other schools in the world, it would appear the British pure-bloods had complained about the education being too hard in response to the number of muggle-borns graduating, prompting the education level to be brought down gradually and reaching an all-time low when Dumbledore had taken over as Headmaster, and with the Ministry and Education Board being pro-active for them, the payment scheme was skewed heavily against those not considered 'pure of blood' to make sure the pure-bloods stuck around at Hogwarts by letting pay for less and making the rest compensate for the dwindling numbers.

Harry was slightly ashamed to demonstrate the amount of swearing he had learned over the years in the bank. The goblins though were rather amused at his choice of words and even complemented his combination.

And then there was what he had found in the family vault that was definitely the linchpin in his decision to come to Hogwarts by September...

"... so much going on here, can I please go to Hogwarts?" A voice broke his thoughts and drew his attention to a scene outside one of the stores. A dark-skinned child the same age as him dressed in muggle clothing was pointing stuff out to a woman similarly clothed, obviously a prospective child trying to impress his mother enough to let him go to Hogwarts. Near them, Harry saw a few others who were dressed similarly with other children pointing stuff out, and once again the magical denizens were either ignoring them or sneering with full contempt, with the mothers getting a fair number of slimy leers directed at them.

"I don't know Dean, I am a little worried about the prices." The woman looked at some of the items with a worried expression. "The conversion of pounds seemed very skewed, and we are still waiting for information from that teacher."

"I know that, but don't you think I can learn more at an actual school?" The now named Dean tried to beg her to consider. At that point Harry was close enough to hear them and decided to give his view based on the information he had gotten at the bank.

"That is true, but you might want to figure out more before considering Hogwarts." Harry squirmed lightly at the parents and children turning to him around the same time. "Sorry, I could not help overhearing what you were speaking about and I just blurt it out."

"No no, it is fine my dear." The mother of Dean waved a hand with a smile. "My name is Melissa Thomas, and this is my son Dean. May we have your name?" Harry hesitated for a moment as he looked at her and the rest of the parents.

"You may call me Harry." He brought out a hand for them to shake which they did.

"So what were you saying about us figuring out more before entering Hogwarts?" The others behind Melissa also nodded while their children got closer to listen in. Harry frowned lightly as he considered his words.

"I too was invited to Hogwarts roughly three days ago, but during that time I have been trying to look up information about Hogwarts and the whole magical society. I came back here to get some answers and now I am actually reconsidering my decision to attend the academy based on what I have found."

"Is that so, young lad?" A brown-haired man dressed in a business suit asked with a posh style of speaking, likely one of the white collar business man. "May we enquire about your information?"

"Sure." Harry looked around at the group before looking back to Melissa. "I think we will need a place to discuss. Do you wish to go to the Leaky Cauldron for drinks or Florean Fortescue for the ice cream, or perhaps back outside to normal London for more privacy?"

"Perhaps the last one is best. We can get the ice creams on the way though." One of the other parents gave his comment with the last directed to the children who nodded eagerly for the treats.

"Very well, I know a place for us to discuss." The business man went back to the entrance of the alley to go outside and find a telephone booth while Melissa turned back to Harry. "I hope we are not taking up too much of your time or your guardians'?"

"No, my relatives are not around this week and I have just came back from Gringotts after getting some answers." Harry waved his hand at that. "Shall we make a move on?" Everyone nodded and started to go back out to modern civilization, not realizing that this one decision made by Harry Potter would make a huge impact on Magical Britain in days to come.


	4. Headstart

**Disclaimer:**

I solemnly swear that the literature and works of the Harry Potter Verse belong to JK Rowling, Bloomberg and Warner Bros. The only thing I own are the one-shot ideas that popped into my head and whatever OCs I would create for them. This is a work of pure fiction made solely for fun, constructive reviews will be welcomed, flames will be ignored. Any references to characters in real-life or fiction are purely coincidental. If I could make money out of my ideas, it would be nice...

Mischief Managed Damn It!

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**Title:** Headstart (Working Title)

**Posted Date:** December 8th 2019

**Tags:** Scientific and Mad Scientist type Harry, Ravenclaw House, Manipulative Dumbledore

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For as long as the boy named Harry Potter could remember, he thought of himself as something of an oddity.

Harry was, for a lack of a better word, 'raised' in the house located at Number 4, Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey of Britain. 'Raised' by a family of three who were supposedly his relatives from his mother's side and for some reason, hated him for something that he had no idea what it was, to the point of calling him 'Freak' or 'Boy' even after he went to school at the age of six and found out his real name when the teacher called out to him. Whatever information he could get about his parents, after getting a hit at the back of the head or getting thrown into his cupboard under the stairs, was not very comforting. Aunt Petunia seemed to relish telling him that his parents were dead-beat drunks who got killed in a car crash, leaving Harry as the sole survivor with only a scar in the shape of a lightning bolt on his forehead as the only indicator. On that part, Harry had some doubts, mostly because it was his aunt telling it, but also the fact he kept having dreams of a woman who would sing to him tenderly as she held him in her arms, with the scent of lilies present quite strongly. It was those dreams that helped him at night at times when his loneliness got to him, even if it left him bittersweet in the morning.

More often than not though, he would have nightmares of said woman being attacked by someone with a sinister voice and laugh, telling her to move aside to get to him before a bright flash of green would signal his return to the waking world. Harry would always wake up in the middle of the night shivering from the chill of the night and that of the laughter that rang in his ears until he fell back into an uneasy sleep.

Harry had tried to do whatever his relatives wanted him to do in hopes of gaining their favour, even if it broke his heart that they did not acknowledge his efforts or spread lies about him. It was when he came back from school with the test results of his first semester that made it clear they wanted absolutely nothing to do with him. It had devastated him and he ended up crying his heart out in the darkness of his cupboard when Vernon threw him into it as he accused the boy of cheating.

It was while Harry sat on the swing-set in the park trying to sort his thoughts when he overheard a couple of older students arguing about their own tests and grades. One of them was evidently in a similar situation as Harry with the difference that the older kid did not care about the bully's attempts to stop his work, he was going to do his best to make his sick mother proud and prove that he would succeed where the bully failed. Those words struck a chord inside Harry; why did he keep trying to gain the attention of his relatives when they would always berate him, throw him into his cupboard and blame everything that went wrong in their lives on him? Why did he had to put up with Dudley's childish tantrums and issues while Petunia and Vernon lavished all their attention on to him? Why did he had to keep his head down while they spread lies about him being a troubled child?

Why was he dealing with the Dursleys when the people he should be proving were his own parents, to prove that he was supposedly more than his 'dead-beat drunk parents'?

No more.

He had enough of their unjust punishments and lies.

He was going to do what he wanted and not have to put up with their issues any longer. Let others see their flaws and their mistakes. He would prove to them all that he was not a weakling, and he would fight his way of his home situation.

With that mindset, Harry got off the swing seat he was on and made his way to the town library where the librarian was more than happy to point him to the shelves that contained his interest. From that day onward, Harry kept making visits to that and the school library, devouring whatever information he could lay his hands on in his pursuits for knowledge. Be it simple gardening to complex mathematics, mechanics to civil laws, Harry took them all into his mind even if it was a little hard to understand for one his age. It also helped that much of the laws would help him with his home situation in case Vernon decided to take things too far.

It did not take much time for the teachers and the Dursleys to see that Harry had been making great progress in his studies and looked set to make his mark in the top twenty for the year. Vernon had shown his displeasure for his academic success by hitting him harder and starving him for longer periods, but Harry did not let that deter him. Harry had even started to store food items in the loose board of the cupboard so that he would at least have some sustenance when he had to serve his 'rightful punishments'. Dudley had whined and complained about his grades being better than his, but Harry gave them a look and stated very clearly that he would not be dragged down by someone who did not bother putting in effort in anything but eating and bullying. It did have the benefit of making them back down slightly for a time, might be the manner he delivered his words to them.

It certainly helped his case that the school staff were taking a closer look at him now that he was performing better and noted how different he was compared to Dudley. The school nurse, one of the nicer adults around, had tried to complain about the obvious abuse but people had ignored her in the beginning. Now with Dudley beginning to gain detentions and remedial lessons in conjunction with his immense weight, she was able to make some progress in fixing Harry's issues and she along with a couple of other teachers started to gather evidence in case the Dursley adults decided that Harry was going to be a bigger burden then they needed to tolerate. Harry remembered her demonstrating her colourful vocabulary when she was checking his body condition and appalled at what she found.

The teachers themselves took a good look at him and Dudley, taking note of how his cousin always had issues with even the simplest of questions and bullied those he deemed weaker than him, while Harry kept mostly to himself but stayed polite to those around him and to them while keeping track with his work, a far cry from what the Dursleys had told them about Harry being a trouble maker. From what Harry could tell, a few were troubled by how easily they fell for the Dursleys' lies and sought to make up for their actions or inactions by intervening on Dudley's bullying attempts on him or others, and making sure that Harry was being challenged intellectually. One of them had even got into blows with one of the nastier teachers who was apparently friends with Vernon and had tried to dump punishments on Harry for 'taking away Dudley's intelligence'. Something that honestly dumbfounded Harry at the reaction.

It was around the start of his second year of school when Harry would make a discovery on the supposed 'freakishness' Vernon and Petunia kept blaming him for. Dudley did not appreciate Harry's placement in the school's rankings or the praises he would get from the teachers, and how Dudley would keep getting detentions for actions his parents had ignored or downright encouraged (much to the horror of the teachers who had to write out his detention form many times to the point they had created a new standard for his level of bullying) or the fact that Vernon was now getting stricter with him to try and get him into his old Smelting Academy. He and his motley crew of bullies would start a tradition of 'Harry Hunting' whereby they would go after Harry just so they could feel better after 'teaching the Teacher's Pet a lesson'. Harry had to run away quite often before, but at the time it was perhaps the most hectic chase he had to outrun. The boys kept cutting off his escape routes and it was only due to his size and reflexes that Harry managed to escape at the last second, but just as he was getting boxed in, Harry wished at the bottom of his heart that he could be somewhere safe from Dudley.

Then it happened.

One moment, he was ducking around the corner that led to the playground, the next moment he would find himself on the roof of the small shack at the school. Harry barely had time to stop at the edge before he swung his arms backwards to throw himself to the floor, the wind taken out of him by the suddenness of the action. It took a few minutes to get his bearings but once he calmed down, Harry felt an odd excitement bubbling inside him as he looked at his hands as though to see if he was dreaming.

He had some inkling as to what was going on, after all there was no way to explain him gaining back a full mane of hair after Petunia cruelly shaved portions of his head bald the night before, or the nasty teacher getting his hair colour changed after insulting Harry and a couple of others wrongly. There was also that time towards the end of his first year when Vernon got heavy-handed and slammed him hard against the door, breaking a couple of his ribs in the process, only to somehow be healed the next morning or at most two days time. He recalled in all those periods how angry he was for the former two, and how much in pain he was at the last, and how he wished for something to happen. In all those times, he got something that came without warning but definitely most appreciated.

On a whim, he looked to where the school library was situated, focused hard on the image and the previous emotion he had experienced before taking a step forward. A good thing he did just one step as he almost smacked his face against the door, but that did not dampen his excitement as new possibilities and ideas started to erupt from this discovery. He had actual powers at his fingertips, if he could heal from injuries and teleport from Dudley, that meant he could do other stuff that he had read from those comics he pilfered from Dudley when he was bored of them. And if he had powers, he could also protect himself from Vernon, Petunia and Dudley when they try to punish him.

He could practically do anything!

Harry managed to stop himself from getting too excited at the idea, he needed to understand more about the powers he had. He needed to know their capabilities, limitations, his overall control over them and then he needed to master them so that he could call them out easily.

At the back of his mind though, he had to wonder...

Was he the only one, or were there others?

~ooOOoo~

Harry would like to say that his first foray into understanding his powers were adventurous, outstanding or even earth-shattering, but truthfully it was a more of a hassle.

Harry first went around to finding a quiet spot to try out some basic ideas he got from comics, not an easy thing to do as Dudley kept trying to chase him with his gang, leaving very few spots that were available for him. He figured that it had to be in an area that was not too visited by the locals and a place that he could afford to experiment openly which could double as a possible hideaway if the Dursleys decided to get more creative with their punishments without the other adults catching them in the act as it had happened a couple of times. He would find the ideal spot by accident when he was running again from Dudley's gang and accidentally tripped over a rock that sent him careening through a thick bush and through an old pipeline that evidently led to the old wood factory near the waterfront. It was not really a big factory since Privet Drive was a small town, roughly four stories high and about twenty units wide. It had been stripped bare of whatever equipment there used to be with only a few odds and bits left behind and what appeared to be empty offices, but it was still standing with no obvious damage, it was dry and more importantly, it was not used by any squatters or anyone since it had been fenced off after the factory shut down for a better one.

Add in the small storage unit abandoned next to it, and it was perfect for Harry to make it his own secret hideout. Once he cleared out one of the rooms, it was time for him to try out his powers.

His first few attempts to understand his power could be described in two words, embarrassing and frustrating.

Harry would find much of his inspiration to focus his powers from the Star Wars film, specifically the idea of equating his powers to the 'Force' as it seemed to define his powers quite nicely. He had to think very clearly what had happened in the few times something odd happened around him before trying to focus on the memories and the general feelings he would have at those times. It was rather nerve wrecking when he actually felt something react inside him and travelled down his arms to his fingers before something actually happen. He likened the feeling to a small dog eager to please its master, and had to snort at the image of said puppy with its tail wagging and tongue out. It took a while to remember the sensation before he could call upon it at will.

Once he got the feeling going, Harry started to test with the teleporting ability he had the better understanding of. His first test with distance quickly showed that he could get to wherever he wanted in the factory provided he had a clear image of what he wanted without obstructions. Then he tried going to the locations he had been to his entire life, to which he found it quite easy as long as he associated the location with either a person or a feeling of the place. Harry found the latter by accident when he was thinking about the animals at the zoo and found himself near the entrance of said zoo, thankfully with no one witnessing his sudden appearance. He also found that depending on the conditions he could potentially be burnt out from the teleporting, and he needed to be certain that he wanted to move to a spot. Without it, Harry would find his face intimately introduced to the wall or the ground.

Not a nice feeling to have.

Once he got that part down, Harry started trying to emulate the common powers he read from fantasy books and comics, at least those he figured would be the easiest and safest to replicate like creating a ball of light. After all it would be useful to have a source of light when he was in his cupboard, and there was no way it could not be that bad or dangerous right?

Harry found himself rethinking that statement when his third attempt to create a viable light source succeeded in a ball of light the size of a football blinding him by accident, causing him to stumble like a blind man and accidentally hitting his head into the old pipe scaffolding.

After a few minutes Harry would have found most of his sight with a few dark spots obstructing his view and himself reassessing the amount of power he needed to use for the light. With squinted eyes and an image, he tried to make the source smaller with a lower intensity. It would take the better part of the hour and additional blinding to finally get the glowing globe to be the size of a golf ball with enough light to help him read comfortably in the dark. That session also left him drained enough to stop for the day, but that did not diminish the sense of accomplishment he had gotten from the test.

Another power he tried to emulate was the ability to conjure fireballs, admittedly an idea that came from his childish desire to act out like the wizards from the fantasy books. Harry chose the old incinerator left in the factory with the reasoning that if he accidentally did it too aggressively, he could contain it without it burning the place down. His first few attempts were quite pathetic, merely creating enough sparks to perhaps set dried tinder on fire but not an actual fireball. Around the second hour mark and after the thirty-first attempt, Harry was annoyed enough from his lack of progress that he basically threw both hands at the incinerator and just yelled in frustration. That frustrated yell became a surprised yelp as the incinerator practically exploded into flames, the heat from the flames forcing him back a few feet instinctively to avoid getting burnt.

Once he got his wits together and his heart at a normal rate, Harry tried to understand how that happened. It took him another ten minutes with a few quick pen notes for him to associate his intent and emotions to get the desired effect, at which point Harry may have discovered his inner pyromania as he targeted small objects to set on fire. At the same time, he learned how to manipulate the flames enough to either move them to another spot or to snuff them out completely. It did not take long for Harry to apply some physics into the equation and he ended up creating different variants of fire based on his understanding of hydrogen and oxygen ratio alongside other gases.

At least he now had a fire source should he find himself locked out of the house again.

Using Obi-wan's teachings and his own testing, Harry was able to summon and repel objects of reasonable mass, stimulate his own healing and even create illusions to get Dudley off his back when he was chasing him with his hunting. He was just waiting for the time that he could fly with these powers!

It would be glorious!

~ooOOoo~

Harry tried out whatever ideas he could get and got pretty far with them. By the time he hit his eighth birthday, Harry would have seven notebooks loaded with ideas, quick sketches and even rejected ideas set aside with the possibility of revisiting and tweaking. Harry felt like his mind was wanting to explode from all the ideas in his mind, but he also wanted to make sure he did not get too out of control with it. A quote from a certain comic book hero rang true to him when he had contemplated what he wanted to do with his powers. 'With great power comes great responsibility.' That was the phrase that stopped Harry from going crazy on the Dursleys and those who had picked on him. It was certainly tempting to give them a taste of what he had to endure, but he resisted it hard, reasoning with himself that he would fall into temptation to the darker aspects of life like Obi-wan spoke of.

That did not stop Harry from implementing a type of field around him or his 'room' that would make the Dursleys ignore him provided he did not get in their way. It certainly made things easier for him since they could not bother him that much, and it was a little amusing seeing how they tried to do things in the house without his help, thus showing how much they have loaded onto him and how much they had depended on the 'freak' to make their own lives better. It had the side benefit of letting the staff see that they were neglecting Harry and spoiling Dudley a lot to the point that Petunia was receiving fewer invitations to tea at other people's homes, Vernon was getting fewer contacts and Dudley was almost being watched the whole day at school for his issues. One of the nicer teachers had even offered to let Harry stay overnight at his place so that he could help to take care of his needs, which Harry was still considering.

It was not out of malice, it was just Harry was used to being alone for so long that he felt some pride in handling his situation, and there was the fact that Harry started feeling eyes on him after he started his training on the 'Force Sensing', by which he used his powers to sense his surroundings as a way to pick up on Dudley if he was around. At first Harry thought it was a side effect as he had used a fair bit of power, but then he started noticing a few seemingly stray cats moving around the area and following him at a distance. On a whim, Harry turned around the corner at the local bakery and moved to the roof, looking down as cats appeared at the alley and looked around. With a jolt, he recognized four of the cats as those belonging to Mrs Arabella Fig, the neighbour who had too many cats for his liking and often babysit him when the Dursleys did not want him on their trips. At a thought, he pulsed his powers at them and was shocked to find something resonating inside them. He barely drew his head back to avoid being seen as his thoughts went to overdrive at the possibility that his neighbour might know something about him and that her pets could be spies to check on him.

The idea got enhanced a few days later when he returned to Privet Drive and blinked at the odd dome of energy around it. It had a sickly look to it with threads of crimson red and sickly green moving around the surface and with notable cracks on certain spots, but what worried him was how no one else seemed to notice it with a few passing through without ill effects. He had seen some facet of it a few months into his training, but this was the first time he could see it without even focusing his powers, and it made him sick in his stomach from the general feel of it. It did not feel natural or pleasant at all, and he could not help but wonder if this was related to his life in some odd manner.

As he drew closer to the Dursleys, Harry could see the red threads pulsing brighter while the green threads extended off it and reached for him in a menacing manner. Harry felt something very wrong with them as they came closer and instinctively let loose a portion of his powers to fend them off, but evidently it was too much as the dome seemed to cave under the pressure with more cracks appearing before it completely collapsed with a loud crash reminiscent of glass windows shattering. Harry had to blink at that reaction before a sense of foreboding came upon him and he ran to the back just as the sounds of air popping filled the area.

Hidden behind the bushes, Harry saw a weird old man with a long beard dressed in robes of ridiculous colors appeared with what looked to be an actual wand and a huge frown on his face, followed shortly by two others dressed in robes as well. Harry had the bad feeling that man was there for him and decided to stick around the school area just in case. He waited a few hours in the library before returning only to find the same barrier installed again and what felt like some people waiting in the area around him without him seeing anything visible.

Harry pretended to look around in confusion as he checked their positions before moving forward to the house, creating a thin layer around his body to protect himself from the threads trying to connect to him. With another ill ease, Harry pretended to stumble to the left to avoid a ray of light hitting him from the back before using a hand to support himself and to disguise the pulse of power to push away all of the watchers at once. That resulted in another collapse of the dome and more importantly scaring the people away without knowing what it was that made them do it. Harry did however see the old man in the odd robes disappearing with a loud pop and a frown on his face as he looked at Harry with eyes that unsettled him.

Harry considered the ramifications as he laid inside the cupboard with a small globe of light hovering above and a small pipe he procured from the factory locking the door in place from the inside. It was clear that the old man had to be related to that odd barrier set up around the Durlsey's home, and considering how he was getting attacked, it meant that the people wanted him to be stuck there. This would explain why despite the efforts of the teachers and even a few of the neighbors to get the Dursleys charged with abuse, they somehow got away on an odd technicality or evidence happened to disappear with a few people suddenly forgetting. The most unsettling example was when one of his teachers tried to go to someone he knew to help, the man suddenly turned up dead in a food diner supposedly from food poisoning, which would be unnoticed by most but his other teachers knew that the man was a vegetarian who was allergic to certain food items and found it suspicious that he was found eating those same things, not to mention the reports he held that day about Harry's abuse went missing. That chilled them gravely, thinking someone was wanting to keep Harry at the Dursleys at all costs to the point of murder. The most they could do for Harry was to ensure that he was safe while slowly collecting evidence without alerting anyone.

But the wand the old man used, and the oddly familiar feeling of the power coming from them… Harry was not certain but considering the Durselys behavior, this meant that the power he had was actually something closer to magic as opposed to ESP or mutant abilities, which would explain a fair number of his creations and testing. That meant that there were people just like him with similar traits, but different in their executions.

Now he knew, or at least have an idea of what his power was.

Now he knew that he had at least one spy on him from his neighbor.

Now he knew the person, or at the least the face of the one keeping him stuck at the Dursleys.

Now… he could plan…


	5. Headstart 2

**Disclaimer:**

I solemnly swear that the literature and works of the Harry Potter Verse belong to JK Rowling, Bloomberg and Warner Bros. The only thing I own are the one-shot ideas that popped into my head and whatever OCs I would create for them. This is a work of pure fiction made solely for fun, constructive reviews will be welcomed, flames will be ignored. Any references to characters in real-life or fiction are purely coincidental. If I could make money out of my ideas, it would be nice...

Mischief Managed Damn It!

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**Title:** Headstart - Part 2 (Working Title)

**Posted Date:** December 26th 2019

**Tags:** Scientific and Mad Scientist type Harry, Ravenclaw House, Manipulative Dumbledore

* * *

The day Harry found out about the possible identity of his powers and the possibility of him being a prisoner was the day Harry decided he could not afford to waste more time learning about his abilities or be stuck at the Dursleys. The fact that there was someone out there willing to do whatever it takes to force him into the Dursley household told Harry that he was in grave danger from likely dire manipulations in the future, and if his fantasy books were of any indications, that would be the 'plot-point' of his life.

There was something about his powers being considered magic that got him thinking about the versatility and meaning. Perhaps it was the manner he started to learn his abilities, or how his powers seemed to differ greatly from the wand users, or perhaps the part where said wand users were trying to attack and imprison him, but Harry did not like the idea of labeling his powers as such. Perhaps he would call it magic for the time being but continue referring to it in his head as the 'Force' or whatever the equivalent was, since he was using both the Star Wars and a more scientific approach to using his abilities as opposed to the fantastical style of manipulating it.

It totally did not have to do with the childish fact that it sounded cooler in his mind than the word magic. Totally not the case, period.

Putting that thought away, he had to consider a lot of things at this point.

He had to watch his back and those who have been protecting him for the past couple of years.

He had to shore up the defenses for his hideaway to make sure it was not compromised.

He had to think of more ways to get away from the Dursleys.

He had to learn more of the people making him their prisoner.

He had to prepare himself for what's to come.

He would have to consider all of that when he was heading for his summer camp in less than a week.

~ooOOoo~

When Harry got to the camp, he did not realize just how much being at the great outdoors would do for his magic.

When Harry was anywhere the Dursley residence, his magic felt 'restrained' like it was bound with chains, while at his hideaway it felt a lot looser and happier of sorts. But here in the forest, it was practically jumping around inside him and Harry had the image of the puppy running in circles while chasing its tail in happiness. Harry had read about the Wicca worshiping Mother Nature and the Red Indians of America, and considering the times he had to tend to the Dursley's gardens or his own garden back at his hideaway, he could make a supposition that having a connection to nature helped his magic in more ways than one. He was thankful for his magic every day since he started to train with it, but standing in the forest, he decided to take a leaf from said Wicca and tried reaching out to the forest with his magic to let it out of sorts, and the effect was immediate as it seemed to rejoice at the freedom and at the natural energy around him, infusing him with more energy than he had ever felt and affecting the forest area with its presence.

Harry decided to keep mum about the sudden appearance of flowers flourishing at the camp site and the increased numbers of small animals visiting them.

Regardless of that little mishap, Harry could barely contain the exhilaration and sense of empowerment he got from letting his magic loose, and his Force-sensing was going into overdrive to the point he could even count the number of petals on a flower about a kilometre away from the entrance or to feel the water from a nearby stream. He could feel the plants working their functions as the sun hit them or even the animals' heartbeats as they went about their activities. It was all so exciting that he knew he was going to be needing another notebook for this observation alone.

But enough of that, time for some lessons, which for some odd reason, be it a coincidence, preordained, or even sheer dumb luck, that the courses offered at the summer camp would be the key to helping his problem and increasing his arsenal.

There were mandatory classes at the camp like the languages class, but majority of his classmates chose the more 'attractive' courses at the camp, meaning those that allowed them to be outside roughing about in the open field as opposed to being stuck indoors. Harry being one of the more studious chose the latter to learn more about the world outside of Britain and found himself immersed in the world of languages, music and crafting. The one that stood out for him was the symbology class that at the time showed simple pictograms, icons and symbols for them to try out and decipher. Most of the small class had stopped after the first lesson, with a couple more after the second, but Harry pushed on to learn about the language that could be used with images. But the bit that settled the matter for him was when he was drawing them out on the third night while considering his problem back in Surrey. He accidentally pushed some of the Force during his more erratic thinking through the pencil and the symbols lit up briefly with some type of effect being created before the paper burnt instantly, leaving behind ashes and a new found discovery for Harry to try.

It did not take long for Harry to get results from his experiments and a new desire to incorporate this into his array of talents. The teachers had spoken of pictures and symbols used in the past to speak a language, but in his experiments, Harry found that he could do a lot more than just 'speak the language'; he could apply it in ways that he could reserve his powers while the symbols do the work for him. He could combine different pictures and symbols to create different effects that were previously unreachable to him with his magic. He needed to read up on it more if he wanted to use it more proficiently, not to mention a proper medium to write said language without it burning up.

That was when his crafting lessons came in.

Harry had played around with the small pieces of metal that was on the floor when the blacksmith was removing them from the small art piece he was demonstrating to the crowd. He had tried painting the symbols on wood at first and then rocks which got a better result depending on the type of rock, and he figured that metal being a stronger medium ought to be a better alternative to rock and definitely superior to paper. He decided to go back to the basics and used the symbols for light to create a light source similar to his Force Ball.

Good thing he went back to the basics while in the forest behind the cabin he was sharing with, because his first attempt got him re-enacting the same accident but with a few bushes of thorns near the campsite.

Not a pleasant feeling removing the thorns from his legs, but at least he was luckier than Dudley who got them introduced intimately between the legs when he was not wearing pants. Even Harry had to offer a moment of sympathy at that.

Once he got the basics of making light and fireballs with his symbology, Harry started researching other known cultures for more symbols and icons to consider combining to create the different ideas he got inspiration from the fantasy books and comics. The teacher at the camp was quite amused when Harry asked for any books he could read from and decided to loan him two books alongside a list to search from. Harry consumed the two books in record time and started to play around with his etching tools. Harry noted that whatever he had planned depended greatly on the type of symbols drawn along with the medium being used to hold them. For one, he should not use symbols representing fire or ash on flammable items, or use those representing power on wood as those would break or burn instantly with explosive results. He also needed to be very careful with the wording of his symbols since what passed as a word in one culture could be seen as another word or even a phrase in another. One of the first trials combining symbols from different cultures had him scrambling for cover as, for the lack of a better description, space seemed to collapse upon itself around the pebble he tried out and imploded with explosive results. Harry was lucky that when it did, the ground beneath it crumbled and dropped his failure into the stream, reducing the effects and the sounds.

He did however create some samples using the stronger pebbles and the few pieces of metal small enough to keep inside his bag with enough surface for him to etch the symbols on. It was certainly quite interesting to see how he could create chains of light to restrict an object, a 'growth accelerator' that could stimulate the growth of a plant safely, or even an amulet that helps to regulate heat around a certain area, the latter being very helpful on the cold nights at the camp. Harry had to work hard in suppressing a grin at people wondering why him and his bunk-mates had such a warm and soothing cabin as opposed to their chilling cabins.

Before long, it was the end of the summer camp and Harry would return to Privet Drive with two new notebooks filled with ideas of pictorial languages, several books and tools loaned by the camp instructors wanting him to practice, and a few prototypes to try out. One of which would prove crucial and most useful when he returned to find the cracked dome of sickly colours back in place, looking a lot bigger and feeling a lot more disgusting to him. One of the stones he had experimented on had the symbols for 'protection', 'barrier', 'power', 'detection', and most importantly to him, 'rejection against ill intent'. He wanted to test the idea of creating a protective field of sorts so that he won't be attacked at a certain area.

It was by sheer coincidence that when he was experimenting with it, he accidentally cut his finger and dripped a few droplets of blood on it, with the stone seemingly absorbing the blood into itself and the symbols glowing briefly. When he approached the barrier, the stone had activated inside his bag and destroyed the dome with a loud crash that sent every car alarm blaring. Then to his eyes, Harry saw four bolts of light shooting out of his bag and towards different directions, then a new dome of pure light and pulsing with new energy sprung up with a force that sent shivers down Harry's spine but was more welcoming to him and seemingly driving away the dregs of the old field away for good. Feeling encouraged, Harry walked through the barrier and had to restrain himself from shaking at the warm and comforting wave that wrapped around him protectively, with the added feeling of chains being removed from his body and making him feel a lot more energetic, certainly a big improvement from the other dome set up by his supposed jailers. If he had to guess, this was his own magic creating the dome, his own 'Force Field' if he dared to say so.

Although an oddity did happen when this was going on. His signature scar started hurting badly and oozed out black blood without warning. He was lucky that he was at an empty street when the scar seemed to split wide open and a horrifying scream of pain rang out, chilling him to the bones from both the sound and from the black cloud that came out of the scar. It could have been from the disorientation but Harry would swear that there was an actual face in the cloud as it twisted in a sickly manner. After a few painful seconds, the cloud dispersed, taking with it the awful looking face and leaving Harry a touch paranoid. It was only the next day did Harry realize that the scar had disappeared almost completely and he was experiencing an upsurge of his magic, as though there had been some limiter on his body that was now removed and he was gaining full access of his abilities. Even his eyesight seemed to have gotten better within the week to the point that he did not require glasses for the majority of the time.

It would seem that making that barrier prototype was the greatest idea he had to that point in time.

He would later get a further demonstration of the barrier when he was visiting one of his teachers for the day. He was just about to reach the door when a sensation of danger blared in his mind while the barrier glowed brightly, before he heard pained yelps and crashing. Harry turned to find two individuals dressed in those weird robes with their hands broken along with those wood type wands, and a third on the ground unconscious. After a quick look-around and feeling with his senses, Harry aimed and focused hard at the two invaders, before firing off a beam of light that struck them both to render them like their third companion. With that taken care, Harry raced for his teacher's house to get to safety, but not before summoning whatever they had on them that could help him identify who they were. The teacher called the police who Harry handed most of the items he got off the oddly-dressed people. The last he heard of them, the police arrested them for disturbing the peace and resisting arrest.

When he went to check the items he held back at his hideaway, Harry was somewhat confused at the odds-and-bits. There was no proper identification aside for some identity card that was at least thirty years old (a fact that confused the police when they went to apprehend them), one bag of odd coins of gold, silver and bronze (wasn't he surprised when he reached into the bags only to have his entire arm disappear to the shoulder), a very bulky key made of gold, three wands of different design and make that gave off an odd feeling (two gave off sparks when he waved them and a third almost blew up in his face), a cloth that gave off a feeling that he did not like (Harry used his magic to move it out of the hideaway and onto a pebble, watching it vanish with a pop), and finally a piece of parchment that had oddly cursive writing and with a coat of arms at the top, and the words 'Gringotts Wizarding Bank' and 'Hogwarts' on it.

Guess he had a new place to look up, and perhaps a place to return the key if it was what he believed it to be. He did not want to be labeled a thief after all.

~ooOOoo~

Time went on with Harry experimenting even further. One of the first experiments he did was to etch the same protection symbols on the walls of his hideaway with the addition of placing pebbles with the symbols of 'protection', 'power' and 'root' at various points of the area. The locations were a mix of a good hiding spot and an instinctive feeling that they would draw natural energy from the surroundings like the river nearby. There was a sense of pride going through Harry as he activated the symbols and watched a smaller dome appeared over his hideaway with the anchor pebbles well within it, now noticing the hexagonal patterns on it that reminded him of a bee's nest from one of his textbook. It was definitely working a lot better than he anticipated since the pebbles made sure that they would be protected inside of the dome, which made sense as he recalled stories of people subverting barriers by digging them out as they were at the edge or outside of the barrier. With this, the weaknesses should be reduced a fair bit.

Harry's senses had expanded during the camp so he could now tell if someone was coming at him or an attack was imminent from a distance (most useful when Dudley tried to come at him from behind), but evidently with the new barrier installed, Harry could sense everyone and everything in it, not to mention a few intrusions and repelling that spoke of people trying to force their way through. After Harry felt the presence of the magic users trying to get near Privet Drive for about a week, Harry had about enough and thought furiously of ejecting them out from the start. What he did not anticipate was for his magic to interact with the barrier and enact his thoughts immediately, allowing him to see with his mind's eye at least five wand users with their odd robes thrown out of the barrier and one Arabella Figg ejected of her premises in the evening with evidence of tax-evasions and other crimes which saw her arrested. After that Harry started to relax since he could no longer feel anyone with magic that wanted to do him harm.

There was however one issue with the barrier; Harry was not used to feeling so many people at once, making him experience a sensory overload to his mind that forced him to stop every so often to regain himself. He ended up having to read up on books for meditation and mental exercises in order to organize his thoughts better, but the real kicker was a seemingly unimportant journal stuck between thicker books in the library. Harry would have thought it to be a misplaced item if not for the odd feeling that came off it and the few keywords that popped out in the pages when he flipped through.

Magic, wand users, Hogwarts, Gringotts, his name and finally, one Lily Potter nee Evans.

Harry managed to get it back to his hideaway and read the journal that was evidently left behind by someone with similar backgrounds to Harry, being raised on the outside or as stated 'muggle-raised'. Said author who had apparently kept his name as a secret put together the journal with instructions to find his stache of books on mind-arts and old magical text, before leaving it in the library in hopes that anyone with magic in the area could pick it up and learn from it. Harry loved puzzles, so it did not take long for him to decipher the instructions and followed them to the stache that was hidden very cleverly behind an old painting at the old town hall down the street.

It was certainly interesting to read from a third person's perspective on entering 'Magical Britain'; how the world seemed to be set in the Victorian Period using old candles and lamps for lighting, how as an innocent child he entered the world through a bar called the Leaky Cauldron, went to a place called Hogwarts to learn magic, suffered the blood prejudice and the war that went on, and finally left the world as a slightly jaded man. He described the four houses represented by animals and what they stood for, the four founders who created Hogwarts, the type of lessons done by the professors, the type of environment for said lessons, the mystery and the darkness of magic. He spoke of mystical creatures that Harry had only read and dreamed of from fantasy books like elves, goblins, centaurs and unicorns, and then he talked about the prejudice and social structure that existed there. He lamented about the education that average at best and downright horrible at worst, the missed opportunities to continue his regular education, and how after checking with other countries shown that Hogwarts was lagging behind in the education front.

And then there was the description regarding his mother.

It was a touch hopeful to think that the woman could be related to him, but what the man wrote certainly gave credence to the evidence at hand. It helped that his description of her matched the woman of his dreams, and now he almost have a mental image of a red-haired beauty who was gentle but firm in her belief that one's actions should be held accountable if done in error. She was someone brilliant in charms and potions to the point of having two professors fight over her for a chance of offering apprenticeships, and evidently someone who was praised as one of the brightest witches to rank one of the highest at Hogwarts and the Ministry, and a quick hand in dueling. She was also a person who by all accounts should not be with James Potter, his apparent birth father who had a reputation of being a prankster that went too far with the pranks set on people in different houses and seemingly prejudiced against anyone considered 'Dark'. Harry was not too sure of how he felt on that, to him James Potter sounded a lot like a thinner, more popular Dudley who would not be punished for his 'mischievous games'.

Especially by a man who was described by the author as 'a two-faced lying bastard pretending to be your grandfather while actually being your worst obstacle for true justice', along with a photo of said person. The sight of the old man who had tried to attack him made Harry on edge, who now had a name to go with the face.

Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore.

Previous Transfiguration Professor and current Headmaster of Hogwarts.

Vanquisher of Gellert Grindelwald, the Dark Lord that had spread terror in the European countries and parts of the USA.

Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, a high court of law.

Supreme Mugwump for the International Confederation of Wizards.

The Proclaimed Leader of Light.

And as of this moment, someone who had an interest in Harry.

Now Harry would need to consider his plan of attack.

~ooOOoo~

Harry started with the books on mind-arts, with the feeling that he would need lots of protection if he had to go against people who have the ability to read minds. The author had provided a few texts of the subject of Occulmency, the name given to the protection of the mind, highlighting portions on the books with sticky notes for him to understand, which method to study first, and demonstrating the pros-ad-cons of the methods in question. It certainly helped since the books were advanced and messy, and Harry was hesitant to go too far with it in case he did something wrong.

At the same time though, the man had helpfully compiled a small book of his own writings and views on the subject. He believed that while Occulmency was good in organizing one's thoughts, securing them safely and able to handle intrusions, it was not the sure win method of securing the mind. In effect, keeping it too organized actually made it easier for experts mastering the art of mind-reading to attack the weak spots and read all of the secured information at once. What he had envisioned and tested on his side was to combine several studies and create a mindscape that would hide the secrets in the most subtle manner like a photograph with one small detail that was wrong and known only to the user. It should also be a mindscape that had good defenses that only the user would know how to deactivate or bypass in the event that one was forced to bring the intruder into the mind. The author in question sounded a touched too happy and unhinged when describing the type of defenses he had created for his mind, using a mixture of modern pop culture and magic to do so. Harry decided to follow his advice and looked up movie titles and books to get some inspiration.

In hindsight, he should not have looked them up in the middle of the night, but he would maintain that they would make great guardians for his mind. It was coincidence that he would have a small light in his cupboard or the hideaway to sleep with, really that was it.

On the plus side, thanks to the text and books, Harry got a few more ideas to protect his mind, such as a reflection rune on his new pair of glasses that should prevent people from using sight based abilities on him, and a small part of him was actually hoping for someone stupid enough to attempt reading his mind to see how they love his surprise guardians.

On other matters, his studies in his regular school were going great. He was maintaining his position around the top ten, just one rank away from top five, and was actually a little ahead of the rest in completing his primary education. So much so that he was allowed within reason to try out higher grade education so as to grant him a head start in getting to a decent middle school. His teachers were certainly happy that he was able to apply himself well, and were proud of the fact they were able to grant him a chance to represent their school at the education contest held in London for primary schools. Harry had a lot of fun at that contest, although he did overhear a few of the others complaining about a girl being a know-it-all driving them crazy and making them hide in their accommodations. He had yet to meet her but got the odd feeling he would do so in the future, the image of the puppy in his head giving an odd shrug to indicate its agreement.

Dudley on the other hand had made his mark at the bottom of the totem pole with his lack of manners, bad behaviour, almost failing his tests and bullying others with his gang. The teachers had already sent him and the group into more detentions than any others in the entire cohort for a single year, and had already tried to get his parents to discipline him further. Vernon and Petunia refused to believe them about the behaviour but were forced to take him to task on his studies, and due to the field Harry had placed before hand, made it looked like they ignored him completely and giving more reason for the staff to gather evidence against them.

He should not be happy about such a bad thing, but Harry managed to contain his smile at the sight of them getting into trouble.

~ooOOoo~

The next couple of years passed with Harry finishing his primary education early and halfway through his middle school education at a rate that was remarked by the teachers as extraordinary. In fact Harry was given the accelerated programme to keep him occupied with education and having a fair number of middle schools requesting for his attendance when he was ready to enter middle school, a couple of whom were top-ranking schools willing to offer scholarships for him. Harry was honestly surprised as he was too focused on his studies to realize that he was making a name for himself, but he took it in stride and considered them as part of his ongoing plan to get away from the Dursleys and protect himself in society.

Harry also made progress on his magical research and created a fair number of spells and artifacts that could be used in various manners. One of the first ideas he had was to create a lighting system for his hideaway using the symbols and runes he had learned over the years. The author of the journal had lamented how Hogwarts was missing out on electricity due to some notion that it could not work in areas high magical densities, and Harry was determined to overcome that issue after reading on the problem. He had the thought that it was either due to the earlier tests with electricity that made it unstable, or it could be have been done intentionally such that those entering the magical world would be forced to leave it behind without any form of communication with their relations, the latter making more sense considering the locations based on the author's descriptions. It took a fair bit of trial and error, not to mention several explosions, but Harry was able to create something that first allowed him to generate enough electricity to power a light bulb safely, then a room, and finally the entire compound. It was a good moment for him when he flipped a switch to activate his runes and symbols, and watch the compound light up brightly in the dark for the first time in years after the power was removed from it. Combined with several artifacts to generate clean water and cool air, not to mention a small greenhouse for him to grow his garden of fruits and vegetables, he was almost living in the compound all on his own.

He also started getting letters and packages from unknown senders using owls of all things, one of which was apparently the wizarding bank that he had meant to go to return the stolen key. Harry on a whim checked online and found an actual chat forum with people who had entered Magical Britain. From them he got the location and went there in disguise to check the place, from which he would find out on matters that would concern him gravely and new information that helped him repurpose some of his plans.

And so, about a month before his eleventh birthday, Harry received a letter from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.


	6. Hawk-Eye Potter

**Disclaimer:**

I solemnly swear that the literature and works of the Harry Potter Verse belong to JK Rowling, Bloomberg and Warner Bros. The only thing I own are the one-shot ideas that popped into my head and whatever OCs I would create for them. This is a work of pure fiction made solely for fun, constructive reviews will be welcomed, flames will be ignored. Any references to characters in real-life or fiction are purely coincidental. If I could make money out of my ideas, it would be nice...

Mischief Managed Damn It!

* * *

**Title:** Hawk-Eye Potter (Based on **Hawk-Eye Charlie** by **sakurademonalchemist**, more serious version)

**Posted Date:** 5th January 2020

**Tags:** Military Harry, Hufflepuff House, Manipulative Dumbledore, Mainly Harry / Susan Bones / Megan Jones, Muggle Military Tactics against Magic

* * *

Corporal William Wright sighed tiredly as he trudged through Privet Drive in the cold November night with his duffle bag over his shoulder and his army shirt unbuttoned at the top. He had barely finished his one year tour overseas when he got called back to Britain to deal with some terrorism on the home front that had claimed a number of lives, always with unusual deaths like they had been tortured, burnt, frozen or even dropped dead on the spot with no visible markings. It was only after Halloween that the attacks seemed to have stopped completely and then the police had to deal with party-goers dressed in robes of all things firing off fireworks and stuff. William was just glad that he was able to get home for some rest-and-relaxation. He only just hit twenty-one a couple of months ago yet he felt like forty with all the crap that had happened. With another tired sigh, he took a shortcut through the small path cutting through the bushes leading to his house and fumbled for the keys.

At the first lamp post going off in the distance, he was checking all of his pockets to get the keys.

At the second lamp post losing its light, he found the keys right upon arriving at the doorstep and inserted it into the lock.

By the third, his bag was dropped to the ground and he was hiding back in the bushes, his military training kicking into gear and his drowsiness driven away by alertness. There was something going on and his senses were screaming at him to stay hidden at all costs. He waited until the lights near his house went out before peeking out of the bushes to assess the situation, raising an eyebrow at the individual that came forth from under the cover of the night.

_'___Who on earth is this guy? A member of the Amateur Drama Club?'__

It was not without good reasoning for that question; the old man looked like Gandalf with a major case of color blindness and a touch of senility, what with the purple robes with stars speckled all over it, an odd-looking wizard hat and an odd looking lighter in one hand that seemed to be swallowing the light it had taken from the lamp posts. William was wondering if the man was actually senile when he watched the man turned around to address a cat seated at the old sign board by the road.

A cat that walked up to the old man and somehow changed into an old woman dressed in darker robes herself.

William blinked and rubbed his eyes, then pinched himself hard to check if he was dreaming. Considering the pain, he was not. Somehow, that cat transformed into a woman that looked like an actual witch with the whole pointy hat and robes, all she would need to complete the look was a broomstick.

William would find himself questioning himself even more as he watched what looked to be a giant wearing some furry coat flying a god-damn motorcycle in the air and landing on the ground with the wheels bouncing a few times and screeching to a stop. The giant got off the bike carrying something carefully in his hands and the trio moved on to one of the houses. They seemed to be discussing something with the woman looking and sounding agitated even in the distance while the old man appeared to be offering platitudes of sorts, though William got the strong feeling that the old man was not being sincere, considering how he was looking at the package with eyes that reminded him of some of the more problematic officers he had encountered over his tour. He watched the man leave the package at the doorstep without even a knock on the door to let the residents know of the delivery and then the three left the area in their own way with the giant leaving on the motorcycle (at the sight of the giant flying off, William was considering it may have been the cognac he had with his bunk buddies before he left), and the elder duo spinning on their heels and disappeared with a loud 'pop'.

William waited for a few moments before coming out of the bushes and making his way slowly to the house while his eyes glanced around in quick succession. He was wary about the timing of their arrival, after all the terrorists were supposedly stopped only a couple of nights ago, it would not be a stretch to say that whatever members left wanted one last tragedy before they could be taken down. He would go over to check if it was a bomb before calling it in.

When he arrived at the doorstep though, a part of him was actually wishing it were a bomb, at least he had experience in that. Another part of him was getting angry at the sight before him.

Laid on the doorstep like a parcel was an infant barely a year old, wrapped only in a worn-out blanket to keep him warm on a cold November night. There was not even a wicker basket, let alone a proper carrier to help the poor child retain any heat! From what little he could see of the child, William noted a very nasty looking scar on the forehead shaped liked a lightning bolt of all shapes. He knelt down and picked up the little tyke gently, the motion seemingly making the child wiggle and leaned towards his body for warmth, while dropping the letter that was on him to the ground. Adjusting his hold, William reached for the letter that had the ink smudged lightly from getting dragged on the floor, removed the note from it and read it under the dim lighting, scowling as he comprehended the message.

Some person called Albus Dumbledore, likely the old man he saw, wanted Petunia Dursley of all people in this neighborhood to take care of this young lad because his parents were killed, stating that he must be protected without caring for their opinion and some nonsense on blood-wards?

Yeah, pull the other bell. That was never going to happen.

For the short while he had stayed in Privet Drive, William knew that the Dursleys were one family he did not want to associate much due to their behavior. The woman was always a nosy busybody who thrived on gossip like bees on honey, Vernon was a guy who acted important while selling drill bits and one who enjoyed pushing both his figurative and literal weight around, and the last he saw of the son before leaving on his tour, the brat was looking to be a spoilt nuisance in the future.

Not a conducive environment for this little fellow.

William stood up with the child and made his way back quietly to ensure the little boy was not disturbed too much. It was only after he opened the door and dumped his bag inside that William noted the boy's scent and made him curse lightly. Aside from the fact the boy needed to have his nappies changed, there was also the odd scent of smoke and more worryingly, blood. As far as he could tell after removing the blanket, the infant was not bleeding despite having some blood on his clothes, so either it came from his scar on the head...

Or it came from someone recently killed, likely his parents based on the letter.

William's heart broke even further as the little toddler whimpered lightly as he tried to get comfortable. Considering the timing and circumstances, there was a high chance that the boy lost his parents to the terrorists, and somehow that old man got involved, just dumped him on the doorstep of supposed relatives and expect them to take care of him with veiled threats. There was something going on and he was not sure if he should be asking anyone about this. Should he go to the police to report the possibility of a kidnapping, or perhaps his CO for some advice?

His thoughts paused when the infant grabbed his hand supporting his body, lightly gripping the one finger that had a simple gold band around it. Slowly, his eyes moved up to the lone photo frame in the corridor, the one that showed him in his army uniform with his arm around a young woman around his age with dark hair and in a pale dress, both smiling at the camera without a care in the world.

A small reminder of his lost love before they got a chance to marry a couple of years ago.

She had expressed having children after their marriage and hoped to raise their child together, a wish that was taken away from them with her untimely death. She had joked that a child might drop on their laps without them trying anything in bed, looks like she was right on that aspect.

With a sigh, his jaw was set and a light appeared in his eyes as he looked back to the child in his arms. Looks like there was only one thing to do in this case.

~ooOOoo~

**_"_****__**Ding-Dong~"**__**

"What can I get for you?" The store attendant drawled as she tiredly flicked a page of her magazine. Getting the graveyard shift was almost guaranteed to be boring, with the occasional walk-in being the only distraction. At least she could finish up on her magazines and novels in peace.

"Can you direct me to the section that deals with babies?" That definitely got the store attendant to blink at the odd question and raised her head to find William holding on to the young infant. "I am in a bit of a fix."

"The kid is yours?" William shook his head as he looked down at the infant.

"Not really, some moron decided to leave this kid out on the doorstep in the middle of the November weather without a proper carrier, a diaper bag or even a soft toy. All I found on him was some half-ass note asking the Dursleys to take of the child regardless of their opinion, and there were a couple of veiled threats between the lines to encourage them."

"Wait, the Dursleys?!" The woman yelped before covering her mouth and looking at the infant, who thankfully remained asleep. "You telling me someone left this kid for those people to look after?"

"You know of them?" William raised an eyebrow.

"Know of them?" The woman snorted derisively. "Petunia is a b~" She paused to look again before correcting her words "insatiable gossip queen who would not shut up about any bad dealings just to make herself look good. Her husband is no better being a bigger bully who throws his figurative and physical weight around, and what I have seen of their son, it is a good thing you are there." She narrowed her eyes at him. "Provided it is for a good reason."

"I was coming back from my tour when I saw the old man leave the kid without even knocking on the door, at first I thought it was a bomb or something." William shrugged.

"Good enough." The woman looked closer at the infant, her eyes softening at his features before hardening at the scar on his forehead. "That is a very nasty scar."

"I know, which is why the first thing in the morning, I am taking this little fellow to the doctor to make sure he is in good condition." William agreed with her before crinkling his nose. "Right now though, he needs a diaper change."

"In that case, let's make sure this fellow is at least well-stocked for the week." Being a single mother of two, the attendant knew what to get for the child and helped William get all the necessities for the baby while teaching him how to change diapers. She did laugh when explaining about the carrier with a special compartment to contain any excess waste in the event the diaper failed during travel; William looked at it like it was a bomb ready to set off if Harry took a dump in it.

William would leave the store feeling a lot better than when he entered the store, now assured of what to do to help the child. At the very least he spared the child from being raised by that horse-face bint Petunia. As for the store attendant, she was going to find out more about the people who dared to leave a child on a doorstep on a cold night to the Dursleys of all people. She hated child abuse and she was not letting the little tyke get into any trouble damn it!

~ooOOoo~

It was the talk of Privet Drive for the next few weeks. The soldier coming back from his military tour found a baby at the doorstep and proceeded to take him in. A few of the neighbors came over to see the child with the mothers cooing over him, while some of the fathers who worked with the law helped him prepare for the adoption.

There were however some odd snags that threatened the happiness; When Petunia heard the rumor about the baby meant for her to take care, she came over to his house, took one look at the boy, and practically screeched out enough words to match a sailor as she ran backwards straight into the wall, calling him the hell spawn of 'that woman'. She then stated that William could take the 'little freak' so that her family won't be 'infected by his freakishness'. Needless to say, William, the few neighbors there at the time, and a couple of his army buddies were not enthused with how she described him and the Dursleys found themselves becoming social pariahs in years to come. Not helped when the store attendant came back with someone who worked in the business sector and told them about Lily Potter nee Evans being a successful stock-broker in the financial market and her husband working in counter terrorism. Last William heard of the Dursleys, they were considering leaving Privet Drive for good.

There was also the matter of one Arabella Figgs, an old lady that lived down the street with a lot of cats, who had an unusual interest in the infant. William would also swear that her cats were more intelligent than they should be considering how they would appear at random times and seemed to follow the infant around. Thankfully someone else found it suspicious as well and went to look her up, eventually getting her arrested for supposed tax evasion. By which point William was already getting ready to adopt the infant. When asked what the name would be, the soldier looked to where the infant was chewing on a toy and looking at him with green eyes, remembering the report about his parents and his supposed name, then turning back to the staff dealing with the adoption.

"His name will be Jamie Potter Wright."


	7. Magic In a Flash (Poll)

**Disclaimer:**

I solemnly swear that the literature and works of the Harry Potter Verse belong to JK Rowling, Bloomberg and Warner Bros. The only thing I own are the one-shot ideas that popped into my head and whatever OCs I would create for them. This is a work of pure fiction made solely for fun, constructive reviews will be welcomed, flames will be ignored. Any references to characters in real-life or fiction are purely coincidental. If I could make money out of my ideas, it would be nice...

Mischief Managed Damn It!

* * *

**Title:** Magic In a Flash (Working Title, NOT A CROSSOVER)

**Posted Date:** February 4th 2020

**Tags:** Slightly abused Harry, Speedster Harry, Harry not going to Hogwarts, OOTP Period

* * *

He was seven years old when his world changed around him.

It started out like any other day as far as he could remember; the boy named Harry Potter woke up to the sounds of his cousin demanding breakfast to be cooked as he jumped on the stairs above his cupboard 'room'. He would then have to reach for the stove that was still too high for him to reach unless he stood on a stool and start cooking what he understood was an unhealthy amount of food for his 'family' with his aunt berating him for the smallest of issues and hitting him with a hot pan. He would then have to settle for some burnt toasts while he watched his uncle and cousin eat their food like pigs at a farm and wasting a fair bit of it. After which he went to school on foot a full fifteen minutes earlier while their 'Dear Duddikins' got a ride there (and still ended up late by five minutes much to the annoyance of the gate sentry, one of the few nice adults to Harry). The boy would then spend the day getting harassed by the teachers who were in Vernon's pockets and ignored Dudley's bullying, or Dudley's gang playing their favorite game "Harry Hunting".

The day then got worse with the appearance of his other 'aunt', Marge Dursley who was Vernon's sister and owned a pit-bull named Ripper. The woman always enjoyed bad-mouthing his supposed 'deadbeat drunken parents who got themselves killed in a car-crash' and how Harry should be grateful that her 'kind-hearted brother and sister-in-law' had the heart to take his 'ungrateful soul into their warming family' (Harry had to resist gagging and rolling his eyes at that description), and she always encouraged Ripper to chase and bite him at every opportunity. On this day, Harry barely had time to throw his bag into the cupboard and run out the back before Ripper chased him out of the house, eventually pushing him to climb an old tree that stood out of the rest in the park. And as it was typical of his luck, a storm was brewing in Surrey, meaning he was now cold, hungry and drenched to the bone while stuck in a tree with a blood-thirsty dog at the bottom waiting to bite a chunk out of him.

As he tried to stay warm in the pouring rain, Harry kept on thinking how he had to keep enduring all of the crap that was heaped on him, how he felt that he could only get away from the Dursleys, the nasty adults and children, and the rumors by running on his two little feet for so long until he got caught and had to undergo the pain. The young boy could only weep with the rain covering his face as he mentally screamed out to the heavens why he was getting this mistreatment and if this day could get worse.

The lightning striking the tree and by extension him certainly answered that. That was the last thought that came to mind before he fell into darkness.

Harry would wake up to a bright room of white, the sounds of the heart monitor beeping softly, the scents of medicine and sterilization, a burning sensation on the entire left side of his body and the odd sensation of prickling heat inside his body going in all directions. His first intake of air came out as a pained gasp that drew the attention of the nurse that was in the room and made her call in the doctor to check on him. Being so young, having information restricted by his 'relatives' and in a lot of pain, much of what the doctor and the nurse said went over his head as they examined his body and told him of his treatment. They did not linger long as he soon fell back into an uncomfortable sleep laden with flashes of green light, cold laughter and the odd sight of electricity appearing before him.

The second time he woke up, it was in the presence of two police officers who had just arrived to check on him. They were gentle with him as the doctor checked him again, a rarity for him and something that they took note based on the scribbling of a third officer who came in afterwards. From what he had gathered, Harry had been in an extremely precarious state for the past three months (and wasn't that a shock for him to hear that?!) and the doctors were honestly baffled that he had managed to survive a direct lightning strike that had killed Ripper. Someone had been in the area when it happened and managed to call the ambulance while the man attempted to keep Harry alive. An investigation was put into place when the Dursleys were notified and their reactions were… not surprising to Harry but evidently bad to the officer to say the least. Marge was very vocal in her threats towards for 'getting her innocent Ripper murdered', while Petunia and Vernon had refused to pay for his medical bill, or to be more precisely quoted, _'___waste hard-earned money on a good-for-nothing kid'__. It was during that investigation that the police had found out about his 'room' and the obvious blood stains that led to the arrest of the Dursleys.

(It would be a few years later that Harry got the full medical report about how his heart had stopped a few times that led to the staff being extremely paranoid for his health considering the randomness of the periods, and the full police report which detailed how Vernon had attempted to resist arrest only to be tasered and dog-piled by some of the biggest officers around, how Petunia had to be silenced from all the shrieking involved, and how Marge got arrested for her dog abusing Harry and her illegally run dog breeding of pit-bulls and other fierce breeds. Dudley was sent to a juvenile school in an attempt to fix his behaviour, only that did not work well enough and he would be doing time in prison for assault on a girl. Also noted as an afterthought was how the old lady with the cats who used to babysit him got arrested under suspicion of tax evasion and possible liability to his case, only to turn up dead a few days later from unknown causes.)

As for Harry's health, only one of the doctors was blunt enough to tell him straight up that it would be a long recovery for him considering the extent of his injuries. When given the chance to look at his reflection, Harry admitted that he had fainted from the shock of seeing a multitude of bandages and what could only be described as an overcooked jerky of an arm from where the lightning had made contact from the tree, not to mention parts of his hair having gone white, possibly from the shock and stress of the incident. The only bright spot about his situation was the on-pouring of support, financial or well-wishes, that came in to help with his recovery when news of his situation became known throughout the nation.

That did help to some extent, but little did they know that something else was at work…

~~ooOOoo~

It was a miracle, as least what many of the doctors and nurses claimed when referring to the recovery of Harry Potter one year later. The multitude of scars that made many of them believe would either stay with him for life or in need of skin grafts started to heal within the first 2 months after his waking from the comma state, then by New Year his face, arm and legs were healed completely with only the darkening of skin to show his old injuries, giving people the idea he had uneven tanning along with the white hair portions. It hurt trying to clench his fist or flex his foot, and he kept wanting to scratch that odd itch around his face that prompted the nurses to place a bandage there to avoid damaging the skin more than needed. The one bit of news that had granted some form of relief was the disappearance of the lightning shaped scar from his forehead, now he only had to deal with his uneven darkening of his skin which was remedied with some medical cream and proper time under the sun.

The state of his neck, to say it nicely, 'looked less of a man going through cancer and more of a wrinkled old man going through his years', at least that was how the blunt doctor said it much to the consternation of the nurses. His torso and the hip area were still the most serious but the doctors were hopeful around the fourth month of the new year that the treatments given to him were working well enough to grant him a speedy recovery.

Which was well for Harry, since he did not tell them about the discovery that he had made of himself.

Now Harry was smart enough to understand certain things, he just had to dumb himself down to avoid punishments from the Dursleys for upstaging their son. He knew that they liked to blame him for his 'freakishness' whenever something weird happened around him like that mean teacher's hair turning blue or him getting stuck on a roof after getting chased by Dudley. In this case, he could feel something under his skin seemingly attacking the damaged portions of his body and somehow changing them into new skin, like ants coming together to attack an invader. It gave him a massive itch that he really wanted to deal with but was hindered by the multitude of bandages.

It also gave him a massive appetite that thankfully was no longer hindered by the Dursleys. Considering his physical health, his upbringing and the cocktail of medicine used on him, the doctors chalked it up to his body finally healing from the abuse of the Dursleys.

It seemed that the Dursleys had become the 'go-to' reason for any injuries or irregularities that come from the treatment.

There was another oddity in the form of his senses. During the healing period, Harry started noticing how slowly certain objects were moving about him or how he could hear sounds down the corridor. Then he started feeling odd bouts of static around him when he got near certain appliances, and his reflexes actually became faster at those times. That helped at one point when he was trying to move his fingers and accidentally knocked over a cup. His mind barely registered that when his entire arm lurched forward and grabbed the cup by the handle just an inch of the ground without spilling the contents.

But the biggest indicator came when he was finally cleared to walk around on his own two feet.

It still hurt trying to move especially with the sensation of fire and electricity going down his spine when he attempted to move his legs, but he was just grateful that he was not paralyzed from the lightning strike. For the first few days he was under the supervision of the nurses to ensure he was able to walk without falling over, then he was allowed to be alone for a few moments to give himself some breathing room. It was during the fourth period of being alone when he tried to increase his speed a bit to test his muscles that something did happen. He caught a brief glimpse of electricity from his legs before the world blurred around him and he ended up crashing into his bed and alerting the nurses to his state. He had to give an excuse that he was a little overexcited to move that he tried to jump only to collapse against the bed, letting them make a fuss as they inspected him to make sure he was not injured while the boy considered what had happened.

The next period he made sure to get the extra pillows laying around and placed them by the wall, before attempting it again, this time crashing into them hard, but otherwise not hurt and not attracting attention to his activity. He then attempted to go down the corridor without any cameras or people seeing him, this time being able to stop in time from introducing his face to the wall. He stopped at that point, mostly because he was feeling extremely tired after doing that, but he was also excited at the prospect of moving faster than the human eye can see. It reminded him a lot of those comic book superheroes from Dudley's comics, but it also made him wonder what else he could do.

In the privacy of his room and with some notebooks given by one of the nurses to deal with the boredom, Harry ended up making some discoveries on his newly acquired speed and what appeared to be the other features of his 'freakishness' as his relatives put it: his senses were enhanced to the point he could pin-point a spider at the corner of the room or smell food two rooms away down the corridor; his body could be 'recharged' by being near a power socket or something with electricity for him to drain; he could point at an object and levitate it into the air, bringing it closer or further away from him; his body could also vibrate at high speeds, though it made him feel weird from the vibrations going through his head, not to mention his voice sounding like it came out of a tube.

It was around the ninth month when the remaining of the bandages were gone to reveal mostly healed skin and he was granted limited status to leave the hospital provided he returned for weekly check-ups, that Harry really started to __move__.

It was quite exhilarating to actually run for longer distances without having to worry about anyone seeing him, because he was running too fast for them to see him, only appearing as a blur with the odd electricity (he should know since he had done it by accident past a camera shop, and when he went to check on it, it only appeared as such). He first ran from one end of the town to the other end, then tried going a bit further and around the district. He dared not to go any further as he tired very easily due in part to his recovery but at the same time did not want to risk getting caught by others. He had read from comics and heard horror stories of governments detaining the 'freaks' with the excuse of them being menaces to society or to replicate their powers, and did not want that to happen to him.

He did however make more progress regarding the other aspect of his powers, which now included limited form of flight and enhanced durability. He was able to heal fast in the past, but now he was evidently getting faster in that department considering the weekly check-ups that had the doctors wondering how he was healing so quickly even with the treatments.

That was fine and all, but the arrival of the police officers from before was a sign that he would have issues in the future.

Due to his current status, the police had to ask if he wished to be adopted and to have his name changed in light of the situation that had news reporters trying to milk his case for all they could get. Harry admitted to himself that he was unsure about his choices, a small part of him was thinking that changing his name would mean losing the last connection to his supposed dead-beat parents that he knew nothing of. Then again, the name he had did not bring him much positivity, what with the Dursleys making sure he was synonymous with delinquency and mentally unstable, not to mention the whole media coverage in the country and abroad over his abuse and miraculous survival. He would never be able to lead a quiet life if he held on to it.

And then there was the nice nurse who had offered to take him in and back to the United States where she came from. She was brought in to help with his treatment and they had gotten close enough for Harry to actually talk a bit about his upbringing, which helped a lot when dealing with the police as he was still a bit unused to adults helping 'freaks like him'.

Harry was introduced early on to the colourful vocabulary of adults, courtesy of both the nurse and the police officer taking his statement.

One more factor did come into helping him with his decision, something he did not expect from said nurse: she was apparently a witch. And no, he was referring to one who had powers, not saying she was a bad person.

It was an eye-opener seeing her wave an honest-to-god wand at a chair and see it turn into a Labrador puppy that slobbered all over him before getting changed back. That, and the fact that she apparently knew a little of the truth about his parents and about the powers the both of them possessed, although she did wonder about the speed aspect as she had never heard of such a thing. It was those factors that Harry decided to accept the offer given to him, thinking that at the least someone was looking out for him and to help him with understanding his abilities.

And so, a year and a half after the lightning struck him in the tree, one Samuel Astra Winchester boarded the plane with his adoptive mother, leaving Britain for the first time and heading to his new home. All without realizing the mess he would leave behind when a certain old wizard tried to find him and failed due to the loss of contact, nor realizing how his new-found abilities would affect Britain in the future.


	8. Grim Reaper's Raven (Poll)

**Disclaimer:**

I solemnly swear that the literature and works of the Harry Potter Verse belong to JK Rowling, Bloomberg and Warner Bros. The only thing I own are the one-shot ideas that popped into my head and whatever OCs I would create for them. This is a work of pure fiction made solely for fun, constructive reviews will be welcomed, flames will be ignored. Any references to characters in real-life or fiction are purely coincidental. If I could make money out of my ideas, it would be nice...

Mischief Managed Damn It!

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**Title:** Grim Reaper's Raven

**Posted Date:** February 22 2020

**Tags:** WBWL, Emiya / John Wick type Harry, Mercenary Harry, Interference type Order of The Phoenix

* * *

It was a quiet night during the late summer of 1996 in the small town of Chislehurst, London. Majority of the townsfolk were already tucking into their beds while the few outside was either closing up shop or taking a late-night stroll before getting back home. Normally those taking the stroll would take their time to do so, but as of late the weather had been going colder to the point that some news networks had claimed that parts of Britain had ice frosting on the windows of buildings and the lakes despite the warm temperatures. And if that was not worrisome enough, there had been reports of violent deaths appearing all over Britain, either by arson, accidents, torture, or some other method that had the police baffled.

The folks of the town could not help wondering if this was an indicator of what's to come in the following days. For the older folk, they were reminded of the terrorism that had hit the country around the 1980s with the death toll hitting close to a hundred and the government getting frustrated citizens clamoring for results. Even after the conclusion of that attack where the government stated the terrorists had been captured and arrested, there was still the feeling of unease that plagued their minds. With that unpleasant thought, the residents of the town decided to end the days quickly and went to bed in the safety of their homes. It would be roughly ten minutes close to midnight that the townsfolk would be slumbering.

All was quiet… at least until the sounds of popping filled the air.

Several people dressed in dark robes and bearing green masks appeared out of thin air, fanning out with sticks in their hands and looking around them while crouched, with one sporting a more ornate mask with scale-like decorations around the rim indicative of his possible rank. Once they were satisfied that they were not seen, they proceeded to go down the street in a general direction, with a couple looking at the house numbers as they passed. A few of them seemed eager to do something as they kept raising their wands only to be harshly scolded by the supposed leader of the group. It only took a few minutes for them to reach a house that was further from the other residences where they met two others apparently waiting for them.

"Is this the place?" The leader sporting the ornate mask and who was a lot bigger than the others approached the two and asked with a guttural tone.

The smaller of the two nodded while pointing to the house in question. "The family we seek is currently in, we have already set up the fire wards, anti-Apparation and anti-portkeys. The Floo network is cut off from this area, so even if the family has a fireplace, they can't use it. We only need your group to set up the others for them to practice before we burn it down."

"Good." Even with the mask, the tone used was a bad sign for the occupants of the house. "This should be an easy enough assignment for the newbies to sink their teeth in."

"Better not take too long, Sewlyn." The other person in the robes spoke out. "The Dark Lord needs the new recruits fast, and we must not attract unwanted attraction."

"From whom, the Aurors?" The leader now known as Sewlyn snorted as he signaled to the group behind him to set up the remaining wards. "Thanks to Fudge cowering like a baby and corruption, the Aurors are a joke, and what few are a threat to us are also outnumbered. Dumbledore and his band of fighters? The old man keeps going on about second chances for us all and his fighters are too chicken to play hardball with us. His golden boy Potter?" Sewlyn took a deep breath and lifted his mask to reveal a scarred mouth before turning to the side and spitting to the ground. "That boy is a pathetic braggart coasting on his fame, you have seen the mess of the past five years that he is not ready to take us on."

"He has a point." The smaller of the two nodded his head. "None of them are a major threat aside from Dumbledore, and even he is pretty much giving all of us second chances to 'redeem ourselves to the Light'." He said it with his hands performing the quoting action. "And regarding Potter, the child is noted to be quite a silly brat who acts like Malfoy's kid. Our Dark Lord is certainly quite dismissive of him for that part, he barely used enough power for a Crucio and the brat wet his pants. He was so disgusted that he just let him leave with the Diggory corpse, and even with that, the Ministry won't believe the boy or Dumbledore, which is good for us to say the least."

"It is not them I am worried about, Hughes." The other one answered as they watched the group finished up on setting up the wards and prepare to perform their tasks for their initiation. "My contacts from overseas have spoken about the ICW keeping a closer watch on us, and supposedly they have sent a group here to monitor and possibly deal with the matter personally."

"Why would they do that? They have never done that before in the previous war." Sewlyn remarked.

"It is because of the previous war and the events for the past four years that they are keeping an eye out, not helped by Fudge's time as a Minister nor Dumbledore's penchant for the whole 'Light-Dark' debate." Even with the mask, the others could tell that he was rolling eyes based on his wording. "Dumbledore's idea and denial of the Dark Arts has helped us by alienating the rest of the countries from aiding him and by extension the good fellows of the Ministry to stop us while giving us new recruits, but at the same time this is opening up the idea to other countries that Britain will have to undergo sanctions to keep us at bay. If our lord is to succeed, he needs to get rid of the opposition faster or be more subtle with the control."

"Well, we can worry about that later." Sewlyn could tell the recruits were getting impatient with their discussion and figured he could start their tests early. "Let's get these recruits have their first taste of blood and get them back. Hughes, Donson, keep an eye out while I get them to learn how to deal with the house burning."

"Yeah, I think a couple of them got other ideas." The one named Donson pointed to the front door now on its hinges and the screams of the woman in the house filled the area and ended up drawing three more of the recruits inside, the others looking less certain based on their body language.

"Amateurs…" Sewlyn shook his head in frustration. "This is why I hate training rookies."

"We will get these guys under control, you deal with the ones inside." Hughes remarked as he and Donson walked forward to make sure the other recruits do not try to follow the rest. "You might as well demonstrate how to give them a good time." Sewlyn snorted before marching his way into the house, muttering what he was going to do to those who disobeyed his orders. It did not take much to find them considering the devastation that was in the living room alone that led to the staircase, not to mention the screams of the woman and possibly the children based on the added volume. He stomped a bit harder than needed just to make sure they heard him, which based on the lack of cursing and laughter meant the recruits had heard him at least. He got on to the top of the stairs and turned at the corner to find his recruits having found the residents and cursed them accordingly, with what appeared to be the father clutching his stomach to stem the flow of blood from his wounds; the two youngest children hugging one another in fear and tears down their faces with the second recruit taunting them with his wand; and finally the mother and the eldest daughter being restrained by the remaining three recruits, their clothes having been shredded to the point that it barely kept their modesty. While any other time he would be happy, Sewlyn had a job to do.

"What part of listening to orders do you have fucking problem understanding?!" Sewyln glared at them through the holes in his mask. "I said we are only here to torch the place, not give in to your lower heads."

"Come on sir, we just want to have fun with the mudblood and her bitch of a mother." The apparent leader spoke out of the group only to yelp as he earned a hex from Sewlyn.

"While normally I would reward your enthusiasm and commitment, right now is not a good time." Sewlyn growled loudly. "The Dark Lord wants to make sure you can follow orders properly, and as it stands, you five just earned another round of training under Bellatrix when we get back." Even their faces were covered, the shudders of their bodies were enough to demonstrate the fear of undergoing that training. Sewlyn then turned his attention to the women in question. "Ladies, this is somewhat of your lucky night, because normally I would let them have some practice on you two for what would be part of their daily work." The senior Death Eater smiled behind his mask at the renewed fear and mentally praising the mother for attempting to shield her daughter even with her modesty barely hanging by shreds. Granted most times he would just break women like her afterwards, but he would still give an acknowledgement if they proved to be resilient.

"Why are you doing this to us?" The mother demanded. Sewlyn merely raised a hand to stop the recruits from cursing her, willing to answer her out of amusement.

"Your daughter, Miss Katlyn, has been quite an issue for the heirs in Hogwarts. Evidently she has not understood her rightful place, much like the mudblood Granger." Sewlyn answered as he knelt down and looked at her in the eye. "She has been causing a fair number of dissent among my kind, and we really don't take kindly to it. So your family was chosen to be made an example while serving as training. At least try to give more resistance, after all you just graduated and should know some spells."

"Just like that? All because of bloody blood bigots?!" The daughter spoke out only to scream as she earned herself a Crucio from Sewlyn who did it very lazily while ignoring the screams from the rest of the family.

"Careful mudblood, I might be tempted to let the recruits have their way with you while the house burns down with your family in it." Sewlyn commented in a bored tone with a tinge of rage. The young woman panted hard after he lifted the curse, her tremors having moved the last shreds of clothing off her body but unable to cover herself properly. Sewlyn ignored her and turned back to the recruits. "We have wasted enough time, just kill them and get out before we burn this place down."

"Don't argue with me." His tone stopped the protests from the recruits. "We are on the clock, and we have wasted enough time as it is. While I doubt the Aurors would be efficient, there are some good fighters still on the force and I would prefer that we establish an alibi before they come." The younger ones grumbled but listened to his orders and began to raise their wands at the family who started to wail again, with the parents attempting to save their children futilely.

"On my count, fire off Avadas." Sewlyn commanded before pointing his wand at the mother. "One… Two… Thr~"

_**'**__**BANG!'**_

The count got interrupted at the sound of a loud bang that drew everyone's attention to the staircase where they could hear some of the recruits yelling and spells being cast. Sewlyn narrowed his eyes as he made his way to the staircase, stopping by the wall and leaning against it as he tried to hear what was going on.

_**'**__**BANG! BANG!'**_

"What's going on out there?!" One of the recruits demanded as he looked to Sewlyn, with the sounds of screaming getting louder.

"It would appear that we have unwanted company." Sewlyn turned to the recruits, motioning with his head at the family. "You three, get them into one of the rooms and watch over them. We might need them to bargain our way out. The two of you will follow me, if we can hit the bastards from behind, we will be buying time to leave." The others nodded and proceeded with their orders, the three allocated guard duty being rough with their handling of the hostages. Sewlyn and the last two recruits held up their wands and made their way down the stairs, the sounds of screaming having stopped along with the sounds of the loud popping. They paused at the front door which had been shut, setting off more alarms in the Death Eater's mind as he made to grab the door knob.

The door slammed open, and it was a quick reaction from Sewlyn that stopped him and the recruits from cursing the Death Eater stumbling in with a bloody hand to his chest.

"Hughes!" Sewlyn reached forward in time to grab Hughes as he fell forward, his own robes getting stained with blood of his fellow pureblood. The recruit closest to the door went to shut the door and began applying locking and strengthening charms to it. "What is going on out there?" The wounded Death Eater looked up at him with half of his mask broken off, the one eye showing having blood on it.

"The… recruits… dead…" - Hughes panted and coughed out blood from the mouth - "Taken out… one by one…" Hughes then used one hand to grab the robes of Sewlyn and dragged him closer for him to speak into his ear. "Warn… Dark Lord… Death's Raven… has come…" With that, Hughes took one last choking breath before his hand dropped to the ground and his head lopped to the side, the light having left the his eyes.

"Oh shit… Oh shit!" The other recruit with them was starting to panic and backing away from the freshly made corpse. "We are screwed!"

"Calm yourself you damn moron!" Sewlyn snapped at the recruit. "Yes, our group got taken out, but now they have lost the element of surprise and we have hostages. Make sure they can't get through the door!"

"No problem sir, I got it covered." The recruit handling the door lowered his wand, a smug tone evident in his words. "I have sealed it off and reinforced it enough that it would take a few Bombardas for a few straight minutes to get it down. By which time we will be out of here."

_**'**__**BANG!'**_

The recruit paused as he looked back to the door that now sported a gaping hole with burnt edges, then slowly looked down at the hole in his chest where his heart once was. With a gurgle, the recruit slumped forward and dropped to the floor with his blood spilling out and covering it.

"Get back!" Sewlyn jumped to his feet, grabbed the other recruit and dragged him upstairs while transfiguring the broken furniture around them to seal off the door. They got to the top of the stairs, by which point the recruit was aware enough to start moving on his own and even helped out laying out traps to delay the invaders. After that they got back to where the others were situated and barred the door shut.

"What's going on out there sir?" The one guarding the mother and eldest daughter asked with his wand shaking from the fear.

"We have some company outside. Right now, all there is standing between us and them are these people, so make sure they are alive enough for us to get out." Sewlyn answered while the other recruit barricaded the door with whatever objects available. "I don't care what you have to do, if we get out of here in one piece, you may have the mudblood and her mother as your reward!"

"Do we know how many?" The supposed leader of the recruits asked while glancing at the young woman.

"For the moment, only one." Sewlyn frowned behind his mask as he remembered the last words of his comrade. "Someone called Death's Raven…" He paused as he noted the mudblood froze and widened her eyes at his words. He went over to her, grabbed her head and dragged her up to his eyes. "You know who he is, tell me!" The woman spat blood at his mask, prompting him to apply the torture curse again before releasing it. "TELL ME NOW!"

"You bastards… are so fucked…" The woman panted while giving a shit-eating grin even with the pain and blood on her face. "You managed to piss off the hunters…"

"Who are you talking about!" His answer came in the form of the door getting blasted off its hinges, taking out the recruit previously reinforcing the door and pushing Sewlyn off his feet, letting Miss Katlyn get away but not without taking the chance to introduce her knee to his groin. That may have saved him as something passed over him and took out the other recruits guarding the husband and the youngest members of the family, leaving himself and one recruit left. Cursing behind his mask, Sewlyn turned to see who was the intruder.

At the entrance of the room stood a man dressed somewhat like a muggle with the emphasis on the color black and protective gear on the limbs and chest, dark thick boots with armored soles, covered in a black coat with a hood to cover his head, and what looked to be dark shades and a mouth piece to cover his face, giving him the odd look of a raven looking down at him. What little that could be seen suggested that he was a young Caucasian male roughly in his mid-teens, something that surprised Sewlyn greatly. In his hands appeared to be those muggle wands they were so fond of using, but there were intricate markings that he recognized as Ancient Runes, both of which were pointed at the two of them. The man himself seemed to behave more of a golem than a man, slowly turning his head to see the people in front of him.

"Do not make a move, muggle!" The leader and last of the recruits grabbed the mother by the hair and dragged her up, roughly wrapping an arm around her neck and groping her chest as he pointed his wand at her head. "Drop it or the bitch gets it!" Sewlyn used the distraction to move away from the two, his gut telling him that the boy had outlived his usefulness and would be rewarded accordingly. The intruder in question tilted his head at the recruit, seemingly amused by the action taken, before speaking out in a tone that made it hard to tell if he was young or old despite the appearance.

"Take the shot."

**_'_****_BANG!'_**

The window in the room shattered inwards, followed by the last recruit dropping to the ground with what barely passed as the remains of his head, the blood spurting from the blood vessels like some twisted fountain all over the room and covering the poor woman. Sewlyn attempted to raise his wand to cast the killing curse at the intruder, only for him to fire a shot faster.

**_'_****_BANG!'_**

"AAAAHHHH!" Sewlyn let out a scream as he grasped the stump where his hand used to be, his wand now in splinters on the floor along with bits of flesh and blood droplets. The intruder ignored the death eater and waved his hand at the distressed family, calming them down, repairing their clothes, and healing their more fatal injuries. Lightly lifting the mother while keeping an eye on Sewlyn, he motioned to her to help with children before placing a finger to the ear.

"Family is secured but in need of treatment and evacuation. The junior recruits are eliminated while Sewlyn…" – their saviour paused to take another shot at Sewlyn when he tried to leap at the children, making him drop to the floor with two bullet holes in his legs and scaring the children further – "Is neutralized. Will be conducting final sweep. Be advised, Aurors and the Order are in route, ETA 15 minutes."

It did not take long for the children to calm down and the family to leave the room and thanked him, with the father and eldest daughter taking pot shots at Sewlyn by kicking him, bonus points to the daughter for her kick at the family jewels. Soon it was just Sewlyn and the aggressor.

"You think you won? You know nothing mudblood!" Sewlyn spat blood as he glared at the man. "I am one of the many faithful to The Dark Lord, I may fall but I will be avenged, and I will be waiting for you after he tortures you to death!" Much to Sewlyn's frustration, his attacker did not deign to answer him, merely checking the bodies around them before looking back.

"I know that you are one of the more fanatical Death Eaters, not quite the Inner Circle since by your omission you are one who could be easily replaceable." The man answered as he reached into his pocket and pulled out an amulet. "But that at least is good enough for me." Before Sewlyn could retort the man grabbed him by the hair and flipped him roughly so that he was facing the ceiling, with the amulet before his eyes. "You can be assured that your usefulness is well received." With that, the man slammed the amulet right in the forehead, and Sewlyn barely registered the feeling before his mind got overrun with symbols and he started to scream in agony. He saw his entire life flashed before him and experienced every bit of suffering he had ever inflicted on his victims. It seemed to last for days until the amulet was removed, and Sewlyn barely had the cohesiveness to see the weapon pointed at his head before his world went dark.

The man lowered his weapon as he examined the newly made corpse before him. The process of extracting the information from Sewlyn's mind had taken its toll on the subject, with blood flowing out of his nostrils, eyes and ear lids, and the eyes looking in different directions from the mental damage. Even if his head did not have a fresh bullet hole through the brain, Sewlyn would no longer be able to function from the mental overload he has suffered, somewhat befitting considering the crimes he had committed towards the innocents. He took a little time to check for hidden portkeys and items that might be informative before placing them into an evidence bag. Pressing a rune on his gun, the man fired off two times at the arm bearing the Dark Mark and his neck, decapitating the corpse and removing the arm. With a hover charm, both items were placed into a bag which placed them under stasis, before he fired another round to burn the rest of the body. A sound drew his attention and had his gun pointed at the doorway only to pause at the sight of his partner dressed in dark camouflage that covered everything and carrying a modified rifle with runes on it.

**"****Any issues, Raven?"** His partner asked in a modulated voice that made it hard to tell the gender of the user.

"None. A clean hit." The now named Raven lowered his hand. "I have collected the information from Sewlyn, along with the Dark Mark. Once processed, we can proceed to the next target."

**"****Good. I have processed my end as well." **The mysterious person turned to where Sewlyn's corpse had been reduced to ashes. **"Anything useful?"**

"We have confirmation on some of their targets, and a couple that we had suspected to be decoys to lure the Aurors into ambushes." Raven lightly tossed the amulet up in the air and catching it. "We also have additional names and locations for their recruitment. There is also an interesting bit of him having a private vault for his own use and knowing a few others belonging to Malfoy." A smug tone was evident when he spoke of this. "Looks like we can get extra cash for the bounty and for our work."

**"Work expenses perhaps, for the bounty it is yours only."** His partner directed the rifle at the bodies of the recruits. **"How about them?"**

"Nothing useful, most of them were just low level grunts learning to be death munchers, while a few are heirs to secondary families." Raven held up a hand to show the small bag of trinkets he had collected from their bodies. "We can use these to identify the families they belonged to and neutralize them accordingly. The only use left of them would be to send a message to the Dark Lord and the Order. The ICW will then have the confirmation to let us continue." Raven answered.

**"****You realize that Dumbledore would try to interfere with our mission?"** The question earned a snort of derision from Raven.

"He should have done the right thing a few years back, he can't complain about our actions since he let these animals running around hurting people while preaching forgiveness and denying proper protection." A beeping sound alerted them of their remaining time. "Time to wrap it up."

**"I leave you to announce yourself to the wizards here. ****Meet you back at base."** His partner then walked to where the shadows of the ruined room was and literally stepped into it, vanishing without a trace. Raven looked around one last time before he walked out of the room and out of the house, ensuring the wards done by the Death Eaters were removed and all traces of their work was gone aside from his personal calling card to let them know that he was in the area. It sounded counterproductive to do so but their employer from the ICW had told them that their employment was under wraps for the time being. His reputation however was a good distraction for anyone looking in and so served as a cover until their employer gave them the green light to reveal their association.

The cleanup did not take too long on that bit but he had to ensure that his presence and that of his silent partner was removed thoroughly to avoid anyone finding out their identities, especially Dumbledore's Order of The Phoenix. Raven snorted again as he finished up on the cleansing of their magical signatures while banishing their bullet casings. That group was beyond useless what with them arriving late to the scene and aside from a small handful of war veterans, the rest were wearing kiddie gloves to stun their opponents, despite the fact that said opponents would be walking out of Azkaban with the help of greased palms. There may be new management coming in but the corruption in the Ministry For Magic was deeply rooted, not to mention that blasted redemption bullshit that old wizard kept sprouting when punishing people for the 'Greater Good'. Like that would stop these people from killing, raping, burning, cursing others, that Stupid _Arrogant Son of A_!

Raven paused to take a deep breath to slow the ranting in his mind. There would be time to deal with the Order in the future, he could not afford to lose his temper. Not yet at least.

With his cleanup done, he took one last look around before simply jumping up and changing into a raven just as the sounds of popping filled the air, and people dressed in robes appeared with wands in their hands. His avian eyes narrowed on one particular individual as he flew away while the people rushed into the house, an old man dressed in robes of the most headache-inducing colors imaginable and looking around the area with a mixture of frustration and suffering. His job had only just begun, but he was looking forward to dealing with the old wizard, because his actions had cost many lives and he hated the hypocrisy of that wizard.

With that in mind, he flew off into the night, the moonlight lightly gleaming off the emerald eyes and revealing a light discoloration on his feathers in the form of a small lightning bolt...


	9. Death And A New Life

**Disclaimer:**

I solemnly swear that the literature and works of the Harry Potter Verse belong to JK Rowling, Bloomberg and Warner Bros. The only thing I own are the one-shot ideas that popped into my head and whatever OCs I would create for them. This is a work of pure fiction made solely for fun, constructive reviews will be welcomed, flames will be ignored. Any references to characters in real-life or fiction are purely coincidental. If I could make money out of my ideas, it would be nice...

Mischief Managed Damn It!

* * *

**Title:** Death And A New Life

**Posted Date:** March 8th 2020

**Tags:** Harry faking death, selective character attacks, Emiya type Harry, Manipulative Dumbledore

* * *

"Damn it!" One Harry Potter threw the edition of the Daily Prophet to the floor and roughed up his hair in frustration while glaring at the newspaper on the ground.

Harry was now back in Privet Drive after a disastrous fourth year at Hogwarts and based on the past couple of weeks he could tell that this was going to be a bad summer, what with Petunia and Vernon piling on the chores while Dudley was taunting him about some of the nightmares he had about Cedric's death and Voldemort's return. He had tried to get news or any information from Ron, Hermione and even Sirius, but all of them merely offered platitudes and no solid information, with Sirius trying to assure him that everything was well taken care of.

Like hell it was!

It was around the fifth day of the first week as he was weeding that he remembered about Dobby the house elf and tried calling for him. It took a while to get things rolling after the diminutive elf arrived, considering how star-struck Dobby was and wanting to get even with the Durlseys for making 'The Great Harry Potter' do the chores in his current state, but at the end of it Harry got a personal elf to aid him with some of the chores and to help get him information. The last bit helped a lot especially when Hedwig appeared around the end of the discussion looking ruffled and with a few drops of blood marring her beautiful white feathers. Dobby helped to translate her distressed hoots and told Harry that she got man-handled and was almost forced by his supposed friends and family to not return 'for his protection' by Dumbledore's orders, and it was only by her sharp talons and quick flight that she got away from the curses. He could not risk her capture since she was too noticeable, and it certainly did not help that there was some guard around the house as reported by the elf, so he asked Dobby for whatever news he could gather from Magical Britain while staying out of sight.

Unfortunately, the news was not so great in the days of his service.

_**[Boy-Who-Lived, or Boy-Who-Lies?]**_

From the headlines of the Daily Prophet alone, Harry could tell this was not going to be a good read. The content showed that rather than warning people that Voldemort was back, Cornelius Fudge decided that Dumbledore coveted the Minister's position and used Harry as his spokesperson to try and create discourse among the populace, and thus began a smear campaign against the two, making Harry sound like a delusional attention-seeking boy who was on the verge of becoming the next Dark Lord.

Harry wanted to yell loudly or punch something hard, but he knew that would not change his situation much. He was just so frustrated at the inaction being done by the Ministry, Dumbledore, his friends or the other relations to his parents, and the news content just reminded him more of second year and his previous year, of how the people of Magical Britain were so fickle to treat him as some toy to be viewed at or thrown away at a moment's notice. He also hated Dumbledore for trying to restrict his moments either through direct actions or indirectly by Sirius and his friends, what right did a headmaster have to interfere with his life?!

He was just _sick_ of it all.

"Master Harry Potter Sir?" Harry looked up from his hands to look at the elf who alternated nervous eyes at him and a glare at the newspaper as though the paper had insulted Dobby deeply for smearing his master's name. "Can Dobby do anything to help?"

"I am not sure if you can help much in this case, dear friend." To his credit, Dobby managed to restrain himself from squealing at Harry's acceptance of him as a friend and stood ready. "This is just like the Heir of Slytherin and the bloody tournament all over again. Either I am their greatest hero or the next dark lord in training, and this time both of my supposed friends and supposed godfather" - Harry had growled out the words - "had left me hanging. Likely because of that blasted old headmaster of mine."

"Dobby is sorry he can't do much to help Master Harry Potter." Dobby sniffled while lightly tugging at his ear.

"Don't Dobby, it is not your fault." Harry came forward to lay a gentle hand on the elf. "I just hate this situation that I am in right now, it is as though the people cannot decide whether I am to be their hero or their scapegoat for all the shit going on. Not to mention the bit that I am just a fourteen-year-old still learning magic going up against a mad man who has at least fifty years' worth of experience in all types of curses and death methods. It is more down to dumb luck than skill that I survived all of my encounters with him. I know that if the people finally see the truth of it, they would just throw me at him and twiddle their thumbs. How the heck do they expect me to beat him like that?!"

"It is very bad, Master. Dobby feels that the sheep just won't help much." Harry had to snort at the description given by Dobby, it did suit the British wizards rather well.

"Indeed, at this rate I am going to be dead meat. And between you, me and Hedwig" - The owl in question turned her head to him at her name - "I am not sure if the country and its people are worth saving. As it stands, they are more likely to cheer at my death." Harry wanted to say more when a sudden though popped into his head. He shook his head to rid himself of the thought only for it to repeat in his head, while Dobby stayed silent at the sight of Harry thinking hard at whatever idea he had. It was ridiculous, it was foolish…

Harry pursed his lips at the thought now running full speed in his mind.

It was probably crazy enough to work…

"Dobby, I have a weird set of questions that might sound offensive to you but right now it is all I got." Harry slowly spoke out while looking at the elf. "If you do not know, that is okay. I am just trying to get a rough idea in my head."

"Dobby will try to answer Master Harry Potter's questions to the best he can!" Dobby clenched both his fists with a determined expression. Harry took a deep breath before starting to list out his questions, taking the time to note down Dobby's answers and clarifying some points that were not known. On the elf's part, he was understandably distraught at both the news surrounding his master and the burden on him, and it only increased based on the content of the questions, but Dobby answered to the best of his knowledge with sad eyes but flames of determination burning brightly inside him. To know that his master was driven into a corner to ask such questions made Dobby very angry at the headmaster, the supposed friends and the 'dog-father'.

"That's about it, Dobby." Harry placed the pen down on top of the notebook where he had been writing Dobby's answers. "I know you are probably thinking I am a coward to consider such an action." To his partial surprise, the elf shook his head to the point his ears flapped and lightly hit his head.

"Dobby is not upset at Harry Potter, rather he is angry at the Professor Goat-beard, Weasel, Bushy-Hair Know-It-All and Bad Doggy Father." It was clear at this point that Dobby was very pissed to actually call the people by those monikers instead of the affectionate versions from before. "They could have helped yet they are not doing so. Dobby will help Harry Potter in his work!" Hedwig barked her agreement. Harry gave a weak sniff and turned around slightly to wipe a tear off his other eye before looking back at the elf.

"In that case Dobby, here is what I need your help with…"

(3 days later)

Sirius did not know what was going on when he came down the stairs of Grimmauld Place and into the dining room where people were whispering in confused or frantic tones, but he had the sinking feeling that this was not happy news.

It had been roughly around the time Hogwarts ended the term that he went back to his old home to take up residence, followed shortly by Dumbledore and his Order of The Phoenix who started using it as their base of operations with Dumbledore as the secret keeper. He had been seeing people coming in and out of the house while he was stuck there with the portrait of his deranged mother and the old house elf sprouting all the blood bigotry in his mind. The Weasleys came roughly three days after his arrival, with Hermione Granger coming after them before the end of the week. And rather stupidly, they followed the orders of Dumbledore to not make any contact with Harry or to answer his questions on what was going on in magical Britain, stating that he needed time to get over the death of Cedric Diggory. Sirius had argued about leaving Harry alone and the restriction of information, but the old man merely waved his hand at him while Molly and Hermione pretty much double-teamed against him on everything he asked or talked about. He also had to deal with Snape smirking at his misfortune and occasional barbs at how Harry must be feeling the pain. It took all he had to not curse the man where he stood if only because he did not wish to have 'Howler' Molly on his case again about how he should trust Snape and that he should be grateful to the bastard and to everyone for letting him in.

Grateful? With all that was going on, the order ought to be grateful to Sirius that he was actually giving a damn to them and not grabbing Harry on the first chance to get out of the bloody country.

Thinking about Harry made Sirius recall his last couple of letters from the boy with sorrow. Harry had been trying to get information regarding the situation from them for a while, but his friends kept giving him other news and the occasional 'stay safe' lines. Sirius wanted to give something for Harry to know, but Dumbledore had caught on to the idea and began screening all of their mail along with Molly. It was very irritating seeing that oddly smug twinkle while Molly had a go at Sirius for trying to pass Harry an encoded message. It was also useless to ask Remus as the werewolf seemed to be doing his as-of-late worshiping of Albus Bloody Dumbledore and obeying his word to the letter. It was very crushing on the Black Marauder to write a letter trying to assure his godson and wanting to write something useful than just empty platitudes.

Then for the past few days, the flow had dwindled to the point that only Sirius got 3 more letters than his supposed friends whose letters had not been sent or answered (something that set off another argument and checks), and the content was decidedly more depressing and heart-wrenching with how Harry was begging him not to leave him. Then the last letter came 2 days ago and Sirius almost rammed his way out of the house before Remus and a few others stunned him with their wands, the letter dropped out of his hand for all to view.

_"___You are just like the rest of them, don't bother writing back. As far as I know, all of you are dead to me."__

He had not heard any news from Harry since, and from what the guards spoke when they returned from shift, Harry had been in his room and only coming out to do chores that man had commented were a touch over the top for one his age under the hot sun, looking like the world had broken his spirit and he was just going through the motions. One of them had tried to get in contact with the boy only to be forced back by his magic as he went back into the house with acknowledgement. Sirius was feeling Padfoot pining for his pup while chewing Sirius out for abandoning his pack member when he was needed. Sirius really wished he could get out of this place so that he could assure Harry that he did not abandon him, but the past few times he tried someone was there to stun him under the orders of Dumbledore to 'protect him from his recklessness'.

DAMN THEM ALL!

"What is going on?" Sirius was brought back to reality by someone he was beginning to develop a bit of anger at his voice. "I got called back suddenly from Kingsley?"

"Don't know, just came down." Sirius's Grim side was rearing its angry head based on the manner he growled out his response before moving away from the werewolf despite his attempts to get his attention. It was a touch petty but it rubbed him badly that Remus was following Dumbledore's instructions to the point of abandoning the son of their lost Marauder, not to mention his lack of contact in the past 13 years. To some extent, Sirius accepted that his own actions cost him not being there for Harry but he did try to make up for it with all the letters he could write out since the fourth year, but Remus was free and had all the opportunity to check on Harry yet he only met him during his third year because 'Dumbledore said so', and the few times he got letters to Harry during the fourth was only because Sirius made sure he did so with a wand almost pointed at him, all because Dumbledore had considered that it was 'unsafe'.

And speak of the devil, the headmaster himself came into the room and got everyone settled.

"Good evening to all." Sirius really wanted to smash that old man's face to get rid of the twinkle in his eyes despite the man looking grave. "I understand that some of you are wondering why there is a sudden meeting." A few mutters and rolled eyes were his answer. "There seemed to be something happening at Harry's home so the guard had sent word about it, we are just about to get the message."

"Hmph! Typical, Prince Potter must have gotten a little scrape of the knee and the guard lost their mind." The oily voice of Snape drew their attention to the Potions Professor in the corner with his arms crossed and customary sneer in place. "Maybe Prince Potter had cried like a little baby."

"You are really testing my patience, Snivellous~" Sirius was clenching his fists as he glared and while a hand was placed on his shoulder by Arthur Weasley, a quick glance at the uncharacteristic glare directed at the spy told Sirius that the mild-mannered man may agree with his idea of rearranging Snape's face. The spy in question merely directed another sneer at him.

"Oh boo, the poor dog must be feeling the pain of being stuck all alone in one area, unable to go to his little prince. How sad." The man was attracting a few cautious looks from other members and a few more glares considering how a few were fingering their wands as though deciding which curse to hit the man with.

"Enough!" Dumbledore called them out. "We can't afford to waste time and energy fighting one another, we need to..." Sirius was about to interrupt his usual forgiveness speech when a loud crash outside the room and screaming drew their attention.

****[MUDBLOODS! HALF-BREEDS!********BLOOD TRAITORS!********UNCLEAN ONES IN THE HOUSE OF BLACK!]****

"SHUT UP YOU DAMN HAG!" Everyone sighed together with a few shaking their heads as the sound of one Nymphadora Tonks accompanied the screaming before the footsteps made their way to the room. What they did not expect was the door to smash open and the roughed up body of one Mundungus Fletcher to hit the floor hard, with the young woman to come in with a wand in her hand and a murderous expression on her face with tear streaks present. Before any of them could react, she started hexing Mundungus with some of the nastier spells one could think of while advancing on him. A few of the people closest to her had a fight on their hands when they tried to restrain her as she struggled and yelled at him.

"Let go of me! This fucking bastard deserves a lot more for what he did for a few fucking Galleons!" The Auror-in-training screamed as she tried to reach him with her bare hands, her wand having been taken away by Kingsley who was looking shocked at the trainee reacting this much. "This bastard… Because of him, Harry…"

"Wait, what happened to Harry?" The rushed question from Sirius drew her attention to the falsely convicted man, and the sudden drop in aggression and increase in sobbing made everyone dread the news. The man came to her and got the others to release her, making her drop into his arms and sobbed loudly while hugging the life out of him, making the already heavy stones in his stomach to get heavier. What could have happened to Harry?

"Nymphadora, could you tell us what has happened to young Harry?" It said something about her distraught state that his cousin did not rebuke the man using her given name and continued to let her tears soak Sirius's shirt. It took some gentle prodding and a silence ward around him to lessen the noise and frantic demands around the two before she slowly looked up to Sirius, angry tears running down her face as she looked at him in devastation.

"I'm sorry Sirius, I came as soon as I could to get to my shift, but when I got there, the place… Fire… Harry…" The woman shut her eyes tightly as fresh tears took place and it took a fair bit of control on Sirius's part to not shake her shoulders as he asked in a fearful tone.

"Dora, please. What has happened to Harry?" She took a deep breath before saying the words that broke his world apart.

"The house was on fire, no one could get through… Harry… Harry Potter is dead!"


	10. Black To The Future

**Disclaimer:**

I solemnly swear that the literature and works of the Harry Potter Verse belong to JK Rowling, Bloomberg and Warner Bros. The only thing I own are the one-shot ideas that popped into my head and whatever OCs I would create for them. This is a work of pure fiction made solely for fun, constructive reviews will be welcomed, flames will be ignored. Any references to characters in real-life or fiction are purely coincidental. If I could make money out of my ideas, it would be nice...

Mischief Managed Damn It!

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**Title:** Black To The Future (Based on **Loki Black** by **sakurademonalchemist**, but more serious)

**Posted Date:** June 7th 2020

**Tags:** Time-Travel, Sirius fixing the past, light shout-outs to BTTF, bad puns galore

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**_"Sirius!"_**

In a way, the wrongly-convicted Sirius Black should have known not to act so carelessly in a fight against his crazy cousin Bellatrix. He was a former kick-ass Auror, trained by Alastor 'Constant Vigilance!' Moody for Merlin's sake! And because of his carelessness and recklessness, he was sent backwards through the Veil in the Department of Mysteries, with the last sight of his godson having a look of despair as Remus stopped the boy from joining him in death. Sirius prayed heavily that Harry would be safe after his death, at least he managed to write his will out to ensure only Harry would get it with some protection in case Dumbledore decided to pull his usual crap and tried to fix Harry with some girl not compatible with him.

Then he got blinded by a flash of light, before he found himself floating about in an empty space that appeared to be made up of drapes and mist, all while being surrounded by the sounds of wind about him that chilled him to the bones. He was no longer feeling much pain but he was honestly getting confused and freaked out by the situation from which he was losing track of time. Was he dead and in the afterlife, or was he actually alive and having a hell of a tripping?

What was he supposed to do given the choices?

****[For starters, you could relax a bit.]****

Sirius blinked and somehow found himself sitting in a chair that reminded him of the Hogwarts classroom facilities and what felt like solid ground beneath his feet. While the same view was around him, there was a definite sense of walls around him which only got the hair on his neck on end and Padfoot growling lightly in his mind. At least the presence of his animal persona was enough to assure him that he had that one card up his sleeve, if someone tried to sneak up on him Padfoot could warn him. For now though, he had questions in need of answers.

"Who is there?" Sirius looked around wishing he had a wand to at least defend himself.

****[Calm yourself, you are in no danger.]**** The voice that did not give a hint of the gender of the speaker replied, seemingly both around him and inside his head, raising his nervousness quite a bit. ****[Well, for now at least.]****

"Oh right, feeling really safe here. What with you being invisible and sounding all mysterious in wherever this bloody place is!" Sirius sarcastically spoke out with his irritation on the rise. "Why don't you show yourself!"

****[As you wish.]****

The space before Sirius began to warp unevenly like someone grabbed a sheet of clear plastic and twisted the center with their fingers. It twisted and bended on itself until something gave way and opened up with the sound of wind blowing through a hole, revealing a dark hole in stark contrast to the grey surrounding which made the Grim inside Sirius whimper in fear. Then from the depths of the dark hole, a glowing figure of 'something' walked out without a sound. Sirius would like to comment if not for the fact the Grim inside him was actively howling in pain and fear, and there was something about it that made his mind locked up at the amount of information flowing through just from the sight of 'it'.

It was male and female.

It was young and old.

It was the beginning and the end.

It was the light and dark.

Life Born and Death Incarnate.

Itwasabeingofgreatpoweranddestructionthatshouldnotbeexisting,heneededtogetawayorbegForMerCyOrDieOhMyGODWHAtIshappenineefjefefgfdgbvzgeqgfghwhwghf…

****[Oh dear, we can't have you breaking on me just yet.]****

Sirius let out a gasp as his mind suddenly went blank and his heart was straining to have oxygen. He took a few deep breaths to get the much needed air into his heart and lungs, his Grim getting frantic with what had happened. He took a moment to look at the side where the being in question was sitting in a similar chair, this time with the glow diminished a little to get some idea of body shape but still having a presence that practically rang every alarm bell in his head to be careful. He was not sure how to describe the being still, the closest he could give it was that the general shape was androgynous considering it was slim enough to mistake it as female at some angles, while there was zero facial features that would allow him to identify the gender or even get a read on it. Combined that with the presence and Sirius was, excuse the pun, in 'Sirius' trouble.

****[Please, that pun was so bad.]****

"Hey, I am not exactly having good material to work with, what with me being dead and dealing with someone I have no idea what!" Sirius paused before adding. "And don't read my mind!"

****[Whatever~]**** The Marauder could tell even with the missing facial features or bland tone that the being was rolling its eyes at him. ****[Can I please have a proper conversation? The longer you stall, the less of a chance for you to get home to your godson.]**** That definitely shut Sirius up and got him acting, well, serious for the moment. ****[Thank you. First off, what do you think I am?]****

Sirius raised an eyebrow at that question but complied. "I am guessing some higher power that governs life and death?"

****[You and so many others.]**** The being let out a chuckle that was a mix of contradictions like different people of age and genders laughing at once, giving Sirius another headache trying to decipher the information pouring into his mind. ****[I am not one who governs life and death, those are done by others. I am merely the spirit that guards the gate you mortals call the Veil of Death. You may call me Vell Custos, or just Vell if you want, based on your language.]****

"I see." Sirius gulped lightly to control his accelerated pounding. "So am I dead?"

****[Hmm, yes and no.]**** The being now called Vell hummed. ****[One might say you are now in Limbo, for better or worse.]**** Sirius got the impression the being was looking at him directly in the eye, making the feeling very disconcerting to say the least. ****[The gate is in some manner a tool used to judge those who entered the realm without proper credentials if you would. Each mortal would have their sins weighed, their actions verified, their pasts recounted, and their souls to be measured. By the end of it, the guilty would be sentenced to stay in the realm for all eternity, never living, never dying.]**** There was a definite hint of smugness as it leaned closer to Sirius. ****[Considering the noise around us, you can guess how many failed that test.]****

Sirius gripped the handles of his chair lightly as he tried to contain his panic from coming out of his mouth, Padfoot going nuts in his head as it was trying to run away and fight at the same time. He was aware that he had made some mistakes in his youth, some more deadly and arguably more sinful than others, but he did try to make up for them as some point, and as it stood, the biggest mistake he had made was regarding Harry. He would really like to get back to him…

****[You really want to get back to your godson?]**** Vell interrupted his thoughts while tilting its head. ****[You did mess up on his part.]****

"I know." Sirius gritted his teeth while trying to contain the sudden flare of rage at those words. "I know I screwed up going after Peter and not taking care of Harry as I should, and I get that I have not been doing a swell job at the moment. Right now I don't even know if I am really alive or dead, and the fact I am being judged for my mistakes is really getting to me."

****[Yes, and that is why you are such a curious case.]**** Vell remarked while tilting the head the other way. ****[Until now, the people who entered this realm have sins that pretty much sentenced them to their doom. You on the other hand are a scale, balanced on both sides but with just one grain of sand, the scales will be tilted. Whether you are innocent or guilty, the scales are now in your court if you would.] ****Vell held up both arms to illustrate the situation.

****[On the one hand, you genuinely wish to go against the teachings of your old family to the point of running away and renouncing your blood family while embracing another belonging to your sworn brother. You battled against the citizens of your world and even your blood kin to protect the world for your second family. You dared to risk your life escaping Azkaban to save your godson.]**** Vell motioned with its left to illustrate before raising its right.

****[On the other hand, your actions in your youth can be construed as severe bullying to plenty, especially towards the one named Severus Snape.]**** Vell raised a hand to silence Sirius who opened his mouth to argue. ****[Do not try to say otherwise, what you and your band of trouble-makers did to him had gone beyond normal pranks, aided by a man who hands out second chances like candy. You are not guiltless in that area, in particular the little stunt involving you, Severus and a certain werewolf.]**** That got Sirius to look down in shame at the reminder of one of the darker chapters in his life. He only wanted to scare the man, not actually have him become Lupin's chew toy.

****[That is the case, and then we have your issues regarding your godson.]**** Despite the bland tone, there was a certain amount of 'something' that made Sirius want to punch the being, consequences be damned. ****[Your desire for revenge made your godson suffer in a family that did not want him for fifteen years, alone and crushed, not to mention indirectly contributing to the resurrection of the faker. Your ignorance had dealt your godson a bad hand in dealing with your society that swings between adoration and condemnation. Your instability keeps searching for links to your sworn brother in hopes to continue a tradition that was long gone. And now your recklessness has denied him the happiness of a man who could take him away from the people manipulating him.]****

"Enough!" Sirius stood up so fast that the chair went flying, his eyes glaring at the being with a fair amount of rage. "Yes, I messed up with Harry. It is because of me he has to grow up without his parents, he has to be raised with those blasted muggles that hated Lily for her powers! Because of me, he would never know how his father wanted to teach him pranks and flying, or how his mother hoped to teach him charms and potions. Because of me and James, Snivellous hated Harry for the stupid reason that he looks like his dad without looking for the heart that is Lily's! Because of me, Harry had to spare Wormtail that led to Voldemort's resurrection! Because of me, Dumbledore gets to hold that stunt with Lupin and others over my head while he happily chucks Harry back to the Dursleys or whatever fucking situation he has!" Sirius seemed to have lost his steam and momentum as he went on, looking older than his normal age. "And now because of me, Harry is going to have to deal with Voldemort on his own without me. I have failed him so many times!" Sirius collapsed to his knees and sobbed loudly, not caring for the fact that he was essentially letting his heart out in front of a being that could chuck him into an afterlife for all eternity.

All he wanted now was a chance to get back to his godson to save him…

All he desired was to see his godson with a smile without the weight of the world on his shoulders as it threatened to crush him with undue expectations…

All he could think of was how much he just wanted to be with Harry one last time…

****[So now you know, and thus I ask thee.]**** Vell leaned back in the chair and clasped both hands. ****[If you have a chance to return to Harry, would you take it?]**** That certainly stopped Sirius in his downward spiral to depression and looked up with red eyes wide with wary hope and desperation.

"Do you mean it? You are not jerking my chain are you?" Sirius asked with his voice wavering. Vell remained silent while watching him before answering.

****[Remember what I said earlier? You are a scale, your sins are in balance with your actions. Unlike those who passed through this realm regretting their actions at the last point of life, you regret your actions through your life and attempt to repent for it. You attempt to save your godson against odds that would see greater men perish, and you desire to raise him as part of your family.]**** Vell paused as it leaned forward. ****[The way I see it, you can have a second chance to save Harry Potter from his fate.]****

****[However, you can't return to him at this point in time.]****

Sirius felt like he was on his broom that got summoned away from him at the highest point of his climb and sent plummeting to the ground, not knowing if he would survive or not. The being said that he could get back to Harry, at the same time he can't do so. What was this guy talking about?!

****[Patience, young Black.]**** Vell raised its hand to stop any possible questions. ****[What I will tell you is something a choice few would have to have astronomical luck to hear. As you know, your godson has a prophecy on his head, stating that he and Voldemort are the only ones to eliminate the other. A prophecy that was given by a Seer of a diminished line to a man of mistaken grandeur, to a man who made sure that your godson would dance to his tune.]**** Sirius growled in time as the Grim inside, his mind conjuring up the image of Dumbledore having strings on Harry.

****[Now the issue is this. Fate has already decreed that you entered this realm to your supposed death, thus leading to Harry seeking a way to get stronger and eventually winning the war.]**** Vell continued without remarking on the man's attitude. ****[There is also the bit where your leader has made sure his puppet would do as he is told, even in death.]****

"What?!" Sirius got back on his feet and paced back and forth in agitation. "How would he do that?"

****[I could tell you, or…]**** Vell held up a hand with a small globe of light in its palm. ****[I could show you, the future that your godson is fated to.]**** Without a warning, it flicked the orb at Sirius, its contents splashing over his head. Sirius had no opportunity to say anything as images went through his head of betrayals, death, suffering and madness. It felt like he was going through decades of information in a few seconds before it ended abruptly, prompting him to collapse back to the ground and dump the contents of his stomach on the ground.

****[Well that was nasty.]**** Vell flicked a hand to vanish the mess before looking at Sirius. ****[What do you think?]****

"What do I think? Some people are going to be wishing that Voldemort killed them when I get my hands on those bastards!" Sirius roared in agony and rage as he processed the information in his head. "That son-of-a-bitch played with Harry's life, and those people keep pressuring him to be an Auror and save their asses, marrying that fan-girl!" Sirius shook his head at the idea of Harry marrying Ginny Weasley; he had nothing against the girl, but it was clear that she was only looking at the image of Harry as the Boy-Who-Lived and not his godson, not to mention Harry had stated before he did not look at her in that manner. Seeing that bit of the future where Molly and Albus had conspired to get his fortune made the Grim inside want to hunt them down and rip their throats out with its jaws.

"And then there is the bit of a Delphini Riddle, born between Voldemort and Bellatrix of all people?! The fuck is that about!" Sirius grabbed his head trying to wrap his mind around the idea that Bellatrix managed to father a child for Voldemort and the fact that she would be key to ending Harry's life. "Is she really their daughter?"

****[No one knows. Some of us say that she was born around the time of Voldemort's final demise, some believed she was born around the same time as Harry, kept under a time field to keep her young in hopes of challenging him.]**** Vell remarked. ****[There are some who also believe that she is more of a homunculus made from material granted by Voldemort and Bellatrix.]****

"Great, just great. I really did not need to think of those two doing the horizontal tango. And let's not forget the biggest issue of the bloody mess!"

****[Indeed, your godson was manipulated throughout his life and…]**** Vell started talking only to be interrupted by Sirius who raised an arm in defiance.

"I know that, but one of the things I can never forgive… Is the fact that Prongslet's son is named Albus Severus Potter of all things!" Sirius let out that proclamation, and was now the first person to have the dubious honour of seeing a being of higher power raising a hand and smacking it to its face.

****[... Seriously, that's what you focused on from all that?]****

"This is a matter of great importance, damn it! There is no bloody way in Merlin's sagging beard that Harry would have a son or any relation named after those bastards! He is definitely under the influence to do such a thing!" Sirius gave a fierce nod at that.

****[... I am not going to comment on it.]**** The being lowered its hand and looked back at Sirius. ****[As it stands, the future is now in flux. While your 'death' has been ordained in this case, there is some leeway for you to change the future accordingly. You cannot return to the present, but you have a chance to go back to the distant past, around the time of your godson's arrival into your world, to do so.]**** Vell paused as it looked at him with the hidden presence it had. ****[The questions you should be asking yourself right now, should I let you do so and do you want to? Think. Very. Carefully.]****

At that bit, Sirius held back his tongue to immediately answer and instead considered his options carefully. It was basically making contracts only in this case he was doing it with a being that could smite his behind with the flick of its finger. In a way, a part of him would want to go back to the present time if only so he could deck Bellatrix in the face along with Dumbledore, not to mention get back to his godson to ensure his safety. But then he realized, no matter how much he would want that, there was plenty that could get in the way of his relationship with Harry like Dumbledore and Molly, not to mention the high possibility of him 'having an unfortunate accident'.

But if he went back in time, he could actually derail some of the plans set by that old goat and get himself out of Azkaban among other things.

"Quick question. If I am to go back into the past, will I be as my old self in Azkaban, or am I going to be a separate person all together?" Sirius asked Vell while getting the questions in his head slowly. He did not want to risk this chance to help Harry.

****[Because time is very fickle especially with significant events that have past, so the answer would be the latter. I doubt being stuck in Azkaban would help you much, even if you had escaped before.]**** Sirius nodded in reply.

"Okay, then next question. Are there rules that I must follow? I am not that well-versed on time magic, but what I do know is that I can't afford to change much." Sirius thought back to the Department of Mysteries where the Time-Turners were kept. Crazy people messing with time was a big No-no.

****[Good. You are thinking.]**** Vell nodded as it contemplated his question. ****[You are correct in assuming you can't change too much of the time-line, which is somewhat ironic because one is effectively changing something each time those silly Time-Turners are used. People believe that meeting yourself is a catastrophe waiting to happen but that is only because some people do not think things through and end up cancelling themselves out. In your case, you are being granted a chance to make things right for yourself and your godson. But be warned, there are events that have been preordained to occur, no matter how much you want to change it. The more you persist to change those events, the more fate and history will push to make it happen. And in some particular cases, the Time Wraiths will come out to find you. You will know when you see them.]**** It paused before continuing with a notable tone of emphasis. ****[One of the most important rules that I will emphasize to you right now when dealing with events like these: Where there is death, there will ******__**always**__******be death. Tread lightly if you wish to stay alive or even maintain your existence in the time-line.]****

Sirius gulped at that bit, feeling the mounting pressure of the possible task at hand. But he had a chance to make things right. "All right, duly noted. Do not mess up the time-line too much while trying to fix it." He took a few deep breaths to think it out before nodding. "Okay, I will do it."

****[You answered the second, but not the first.]**** Vell tilted its head. ****[I may have stated that you could have a chance to go back, but you need to convince me why I should let you leave this place.]****

"... I do not know whether I am considered worthy. I made more mistakes in my lifetime than I can count, and screwed up so badly in my life that I cannot hope to fix." Sirius gripped his fists tightly as he tried to get his head in gear. "But what I cannot afford to mess up is to leave Harry at the hands of Dumbledore, Snape or anyone else. They keep pushing him to lose more of himself so that they can keep themselves clean of blood, destroying him from the inside. I cannot stand back and watch them do that to him. If I have the chance to save Harry, I will do it. Even if it means I might wipe myself out of existence, I can be happy knowing that I can give Harry a good chance of being alive and happy, and that I would take those bastards to hell with me if necessary! That much I swear as the last heir of the House of Black!"

Vell remained silent in his seat and watching Sirius after he gave his claim, as though judging him of his words. Then suddenly it let out a laugh that was cheerful, exciting, and sinister all at once. ****[I see, so that is how you feel. I understand.]**** It then stood abruptly from its seat and loomed over Sirius with a presence that spoke of it passing judgement. ****[Is that your final answer?]**** Sirius gave a firm nod with a glare daring the being to renegade on its word. ****[Very well then, you have passed my test and earned your chance to return.]**** It leaned back and took a few steps backwards. ****[I will send you back to the past, and will also leave something for you to know what to do and not.]****

"Thank you, Vell Custos." Sirius let out a breath that he was unconsciously holding on. He was going to be able to help Prongslet and kick some butt.

****[Right then, with all of that said and done…]**** Vell paused and for some odd reason, Sirius's Marauder Senses were tingling at this point and he had the impression that Vell was smirking at him. ****[I hope you enjoy the treat I will be granting you. Safe travels!]**** Without warning, the ground beneath him vanished and Sirius found himself plummeting down a long tunnel of light while screaming at the suddenness and speed. There was only one thought going through his mind at this point.

_'___FUCK YOU VELLLLLLL!'__

****[Rude.]****

Then just as sudden as the drop, the stop came abruptly in the form of his face meeting the ground hard, thankfully without splitting his head. Sirius groaned at the pain that was going through his body as he tried to get back on his feet.

"Hey there, you okay?" A hand placed itself on his shoulder and helped Sirius up to his feet. Sirius blinked as he placed a hand to his throbbing head. "That looked like a nasty fall, do you need the healer?"

"No, think I am fine." Sirius shook his head lightly before looking up, pausing to find a familiar face in front of him. "Tom?"

"Oh you know me, little lad? Afraid I do not know you as well." Dear old Tom of the Leaky Cauldron gave a smile that showed missing teeth as he leaned back, making Sirius realize he looked a lot taller than normal. "Sorry about that."

"No, it is fine. Thank you for the help." Sirius blinked again as he realized his voice sounded younger and somewhat high-pitch. Tom nodded and moved away to another customer in the distance, leaving Sirius behind to inspect himself in dawning panic. He had smaller arms and legs, and from what he could feel, he had none of his facial hair or scars he had obtained over the years. There was an old mirror near his spot to which Sirius made his way slowly, only to find a face he did not expect to see for a long time.

His face as it used to be when he was just a kid…

__What in Merlin's name is going on here?!__


	11. Lily's Solution

**Disclaimer:**

I solemnly swear that the literature and works of the Harry Potter Verse belong to JK Rowling, Bloomberg and Warner Bros. The only thing I own are the one-shot ideas that popped into my head and whatever OCs I would create for them. This is a work of pure fiction made solely for fun, constructive reviews will be welcomed, flames will be ignored. Any references to characters in real-life or fiction are purely coincidental. If I could make money out of my ideas, it would be nice...

Mischief Managed Damn It!

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**Title:** Lily's Solution (Working Title)

**Posted Date:** July 12 2020

**Tags:** Badass Lily Potter, Harry not going to Hogwarts, alternate schooling, Hogwarts standards failing, MOB Dumbledore, selective bashing / character death

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"Damn it!" Lily cursed quietly as she entered the safe-house, thanking Nelly the elf for taking care of Harry and then throwing herself into a chair, placing a hand to her head and silently applied a cooling charm to ease the headache that she was suffering from the latest meeting done for the day.

The meeting that occurred earlier in the day could only be summed up as a disaster; what with reports coming in about people disappearing and dying, the Aurors being overrun by Death Eaters, their own members getting systematically taken out through their missions or assassinations, everything was going into a blender to be mixed and spat out like every day rubbish. And if that was not bad enough, Albus Flipping Dumbledore insisted that they only use stunners and hexes to fight! Like that would help considering every time they stun one of the Death Eaters, the next one would just revive that guy and they would end up tag-teaming their group until they are dead. Lily kept pushing for more permanent solutions, but the damn wizard would just go on about 'giving them a chance to redeem themselves to the Light', and how she was going 'dark' with her actions. Her 'oh-so-dear' husband James Potter would listen to the man like some devoted follower and berate her for even thinking of such a 'dark' deed. To boot, only Alastor Moody and a few other hardened veterans, along with Alice Longbottom and other like-minded women, would agree with her on this matter, and that was after a lot of death when they arrived. Many of the women would think about their own children when they gazed upon the scene and would gladly end the Death Eaters in their tracks.

Oh, and for the cherry on top, Albus decided to throw in the bit that her son was apparently being targeted by the Dark Lord for being part of a prophecy supposedly to end his dark reign. This was only after Lily and Alice managed to strong-arm him into revealing the reason they had been stuck in warehouses for the past few weeks.

Now that was just bloody fantastic! And yes, she was being sarcastic about it!

It was to some heavy guilt that Lily felt partially relieved that she was not the only one to be stressed about the prophecy as Alice came soon after with tears pouring down her face and fearful for her Neville. Frank did his best to comfort the two while James did not seem that concerned on the idea that they could die, rather he appeared to be excited at the idea of his son being prophesied to end the dark lord. It was only with Remus, Sirius and Frank giving him a big knock on the head as one that he got his act together to try and consider options to save their children.

"Damn that blasted old man! To withhold this for so long, that habit of his would be the death of us all at this point!" Lily took a deep breath just as Nelly brought in a tea-set with a small of Fire-Whisky to add, knowing that Lily was tempted to have a drink. Lily held back for now, preferring the tea blend to control her senses, not to mention she needed her faculties to think this through.

This war was taking too long; it had been going on when she entered Hogwarts and erupted around her sixth year when Voldemort came out into the open, moving to an ongoing assault when she left and married roughly three years later. It felt like she barely finished her marriage ceremony with James when she had to grab her wand and start fighting the Death Eaters invading the wedding area. After that, it was an ongoing struggle to take them down, not helped when Albus "Must Redeem All" Dumbledore limited their attacks to non-lethal. Okay, she might understand one or two that might redeemable provided they genuinely meant it, but there was no way on this planet that she would allow someone like Bellatrix Lestrange walk free to be redeemed!

With the prophecy added on, it just added a complexity that she really did not need at this point. Frank and Alice were worried sick about the idea that Neville would be targeted, and that Dumbledore evidently had no intention to tell them until they bullied him into talking. The worst part was when Lily had to seal the room off for privacy, she had found three listening charms that led to somewhere. No wonder they had so much trouble with their missions when they could not even secure their own meetings! There was too much to go on at this time.

As much as she wanted to say that James was reliable, she was not sure if he was truly up to the task. It appeared that with the war going on, it became a coping mechanism for James to regress a little back to his old self from Hogwarts, which while entertaining at times, was also a distraction at the worst of times. Sirius was no better, what with him constantly goofing around and having a trigger temper that made him suffer tunnel vision. Peter Pettigrew was also an odd one in the Order who might be a touch more useful than Mundungus Fletcher, which was not much to say the least. Remus would be her best bet, but he was sent out again to deal with the werewolf packs on Dumbledore's orders. She would like to consult with Alastor, but with how Dumbledore was keeping an eye on them, there was a chance that he would find out and restrict their actions, or worse, obliviate them.

No, she needed someone who was able to operate on the levels of Alastor Moody and Bartemius Crouch combined without too much of the ruthlessness; someone who could get in and out of warded areas without hassle; someone who was unconnected to the Order and in turn Dumbledore; someone with proper common sense and the ability to think out of the box.

Someone like…

Lily sat up straight as the metaphorical bolt of lightning hit her mind hard and lit the light bulb in her brain. There was someone who matched all those qualities and more importantly, could help her with protecting Harry.

Now where did she put her old address book?

~ooOOoo~

_'Ding-Dong!'_

Lily looked around her surroundings as she prayed that her fellow muggleborn was available. It took a bit of time to recall his old residence considering he had dropped off the grid sometime after graduating and joining the British Army, and then there was the matter of finding his new address and telephone number through the yellow pages. He was someone that Alastor Moody approved upon their first meeting for his amount of preparations and personality when it came to fighting; her friend did not subscribe to the ideal of stunning their opponents, he believed that such a thing was only meant for formal duels, training or minor crimes. For their war, he adopted a policy that could be summed up as 'You try to hurt me, I will kill you tenfold.' Something that Dumbledore definitely disapproved and tried to get him stopped through his proxies, going on about 'he would be killing their chances of being redeemed to the light' and then tried to label him as a vigilante 'for ending family lines'.

Too bad for the old man, her friend had figuratively flipped the bird towards him and in his absence somehow gained a role as a hit-man slash wizard, and as a liaison for the British Government, making him a very dangerous person to piss off. He used that and his military skills to his advantage by taking down as many Death Eaters as possible while providing information to the DMLE, often 'gift-wrapping' the few he captured alive with a bow on top and a note to Bartimus Crouch or Alastor as a joke.

Contrary to people's beliefs, Crouch and Alastor actually appreciated the humour. At one point when her friend delivered a member of Voldemort's Inner Circle to the DMLE, Crouch laughed out loud and yelled out his thanks before heading back into the office with a chuckle. The latter had laughed himself to the point that he needed a calming draught from Madam Pomfrey to control his laughter.

It was this set of skills and his knack for creating spells on the go that made him one of the deadlier fighters for the magic world, thus saving a good number of their members and families despite objections from Dumbledore on his methods. It was also those attributes Lily was now wishing heavily that he got an idea to help her save Harry.

It took her a bit longer than necessary to get in contact with him since his old number was removed and she had to contact Saul Croaker, the Unspeakable from the Department of Mysteries, to deliver the message to him since Saul was the only person connected to the two and she did not want to risk exposing her friend to the Death Eaters or Dumbledore. It then took another few days (unnecessary in her honest opinion) to actually go to him, due to more missions and Dumbledore's rather forceful attempts to get her family in another safe-house and under a Fidelius Charm. She had a few arguments with James on the security, choice of secret keepers and her attitude against Dumbledore, before slamming her way out of the house to avoid hexing him. It was only a few minutes later that she realized she was moving in the general direction of her friend and decided to capitalize on the moment, giving him a quick heads-up by a Messenger Patronus.

From what little she gathered, her friend apparently took up residence in a neighbourhood that was just before the boundary to the outskirts, and she would have likely missed it if not for the subtle wards testing her when she arrived. There was a well-hidden ward that would disable her magic if she came with ill intent, and with her temper on high, she forced herself to a brisk walk to his house and took the time to calm herself. She was really praying that he had a plan if only to flip the bird at James and Dumbledore's ideas of safety.

The sound of the door opening attracted Lily's attention only to have a glock pistol pointed at her head by the very person she was seeking. The young man certainly changed a lot from the scrawny kid since their days at Hogwarts, what with him having grown taller than her with a big frame straining his shirt, military pants that Lily could tell were woven with rune protections, his tanned skin and his hair having been given the military crew-cut treatment. The only thing that still remained more or less the same were his pair of mismatched eyes, his right eye having a bright sea-color blue while his left was a distinct yellow to the point of appearing gold.

"What was the first spell we discussed about during our third excursion of the library?" He asked with a deep baritone voice that briefly made Lily nostalgic since the last time they spoke to one another and thankful for her Occlumency as it was rather distracting to say the least, to the point of temporarily dispersing her ill temper.

"Hello, it is nice to see you too." Lily rolled her eyes but smiled at his bluntness while putting a hand on her hips. "It was the warding spell meant to guard small properties instead of houses. It was advanced even for fifth year students, let alone two first years starting on our education. You attempted to cast it with incorrect formulas and ended up with blue hair and purple polka dots on your skin for a week. Professor Flitwick was torn between taking points off you and laughing his head off. He ended up doing both and having to visit Pomfrey for busting a gut, while you took that week to curse those who made fun of you."

The man snorted as he lowered his gun. "Not one of my finest moments. Want to have a go?"

"My turn then." She flicked out a wand out at the ready while she considered her security question. "What happened in the month of November, third year?"

"A fourth year Ravenclaw named Klaus Benedict attempted to curse you with a disembowelling spell after you rejected him to go to Hogsmeade. While James Potter and Sirius Black took him and his buddies out with curses and a month's worth of pranks, you saw to it personally to almost end the Benedict line by kicking him in the jewels after reinforcing your leg." The man answered with a straight face. "He sucked at magic for his years but made a killing as an opera singer after your treatment. Albus Dumbledore then tried to pull his patented 'disappointed in you' grandfather routine to which you just ignored and ended up with detention for 'attempting to end a family line'."

"Too true." The young woman chuckled as she kept her wand and opened her arms. "Thanks for seeing me Derrick."

"Likewise, dear Lily, it has been a while." The now named Derrick holstered his gun and stepped forward to hug her tightly. "I barely get much chances to see you in the past few years, I will take what I can. Want some tea? I am lucky enough to have some blends including your favourite, not to mention some scones fresh out of the oven." A sudden growl made Lily wrap her arms around her stomach which decided to make itself known to the two of them, her face flushed with embarrassment as she glared at the offending organ.

"Not. A. Word." Lily let out a growl of her own to which Derrick merely smirked in mischief.

"Same old Lily. Come on in." Derrick opened the door wider to let Lily through and then shut the door. The moment it was closed a light orange glow appeared on her body before dispelling with a loud crack, followed by a brief glow of green.

"What was that?" Lily looked down in confusion.

"My security system if you would. It was to check if you have another tracking charms or compulsions that might made you come here unwillingly or you were carrying without knowing." Derrick answered while locking the door and pointing a thumb at the nearby counter where a pen was currently writing itself on a piece of paper. "While I doubt that any would stick to you once you entered the area, that will tell me if you have been under any recently. And that loud snap means that there was at least one that hung on until you step through."

"Still following that paranoia, I see." Lily raised an eyebrow. "Though I guess I should be thankful if what you just said is true."

"One way to find out." Derrick reached for the paper and looked at it, a frown appearing as he read on. "Oh boy."

"Let me guess, very bad?" Lily sighed heavily. Derrick replied by handing her the paper. Lily looked at it and in a few seconds her hair started rising due to the static generated from her magic. "That bloody goat wanking son of a bitch!"

"Eloquent as always." Derrick winced at both the volume and her choice of words. Lily ignored him as she glared at the paper as though she could awaken a power to burn the offender to ashes. That blasted old man kept on saying how some people could be so thoughtless as to place spells on others, yet he had no problems doing the same to her, using a combination of compulsions and partial memory wipes along with location spells on her. That hypocritical bastard!

That was not the only reason she was angry. Based on the placement of some of the spells being on her undergarments, they could only be applied in her room, which meant two possibilities. Either Dumbledore was so blatant and arrogant enough to walk through their house on the few times he visited and into her room to place them…

Or what was more likely as days gone by, her 'dear' husband James Bloody Potter would have placed them himself. The nerve of that man!

"And that would be enough."

Lily blinked at the choice of words before realizing that she was feeling a little calmer suddenly. She noted the odd scent of oranges before looking to Derrick who had an eyebrow raised. "Aerosol Calming Draught. Not as effective as taking the actual potion, but it does lower tempers enough to get things moving. Your magic was getting too agitated and I did not want to have my security take you out by mistake." Lily looked at him briefly before snorting and shaking her head, her anger being washed away by the hilarity of his preparations and slight melancholy of her situation. "Want to talk about it?"

"Some of the spells placed on me are very recent, roughly an hour or two." Lily began while Derrick guided her to his living room, one that was minimalist at first glance but with tasteful decorations and plants to give it a homely feel. "Not to mention the placement of the other location spells made it clear that James was the one who did them. He knows very well how I feel about those spells on my clothes without my knowledge. Maybe he wants to do this for safety but as of late it does not seem to be the case."

"I am not quite the person to speak in favour of Potter, so I won't say it." Derrick gave her a chair to sit in before going to the kitchen to grab a plate of scones and a pot of tea which he placed on a ceramic plate and pressed a rune to begin heating the tea leaves. "And if I am correct in guessing, the compulsions are from Dumbledore."

"Yes." Lily growled in irritation. "That damn old man is honestly pushing things too far. He is part of the reason I am here to see you."

"Very well." Derrick took a sip of his drink before leaning back in the chair and looking to her, summoning a notepad and pen to the table and then pressing a rune, creating a field of magic around the two that Lily could sense to be harmless. "I understand you are on a tight schedule, so I have just activated a time ward. We now have about 5 hours in this ward while 5 minutes pass outside. Lay it on me." With that provision, Lily had effectively unloaded all the activities she had done with the group, her frustrations and more importantly, the prophecy targeting her Harry. She was ever so thankful that she faked the taking of her oath which Dumbledore insisted they took when entering the order to supposedly help protect the citizens, but clearly meant to swear allegiance to him. Since it was done in a group, all she had to do was mouth the words, spell a lumos, shook her limbs slightly, and she pretended to have the oath enforced on her.

She did not go through Saul Croaker's lessons in the department just by looking pretty, thank you very much.

On his part, Derrick kept silent as he listened to her, only interrupting at brief points to confirm some bits of information that he did not know of from his own fights. After two hours of talking, Lily sagged in her chair and drank her tea, looking like a huge weight was removed from her shoulders, while Derrick was looking at the notepad that had their conversation recorded, deep furrows evident on his face as he scribbled at the sides.

"This is quite disturbing." Derrick eventually spoke out as he placed the pen down.

"Understatement of the year." Lily huffed at his words, but he shook his head.

"You know that I never liked Dumbledore even when we were in Hogwarts. I always felt something was off about him, even when everyone was saying that I was paranoid." Derrick took a bite of his scone with a touch more force than required. "But given what you have told me and how this war is heading, I am really getting bad vibes from this."

"Before I give out any ideas, we must confirm if this prophecy actually exists." Derrick looked to Lily. "Have you managed to confirm this with Croaker?"

"I did ask if there was a prophecy regarding Harry, and he replied that he would check. But they are having security issues on their end." Lily paused to give a wry smile. "He wanted me to pass on a message that he is torn between thanking you and hexing you for showing up with the traitor in their ranks."

"Tell him he's welcome." Derrick snorted. "Augustus Rookwood was one loose end that could not be allowed to live, what with him being one of the higher ranking Unspeakables. I know for a fact that he was after some of the other scrolls containing elder magic to aid the Death Eaters, at least I am letting Croaker deal with that."

"Yes, and the only thing I got from him is that Rookwood was going to spend some quality time as their new crash test bitch." Lily remarked. "But we are getting off track."

"Indeed." Derrick tapped the notepad at a particular sentence. "This prophecy also applies to Frank's and Alice's kid, Neville was it?" Lily nodded while Derrick tapped a bit harder while thinking.

"So Dumbledore has withheld the prophecy until you guys wrestled it out of him, and now he is insisting on placing you and the Longbottoms into another set of safe-houses, this time with Fidelius Charms attached to them. And rather than have yourselves or each other as the secret keepers, he wants himself or others to take up the role." Derrick looked at Lily grimly. "Tell me I am crazy, but it sounds like he wants you guys to be more vulnerable by removing any sources of interactions and help along with outside information and the possibility of keeping each other safe at the same time."

"I wish I could say that, but it does feel that Dumbledore is trying to kill us." Lily gripped her hands tightly. "I really do not want to think of the worst-case scenario on this."

"Then let me voice out my thoughts, if only to have some idea to cover our bases." Derrick took a big gulp of the tea before sighing. "First and foremost, I find it suspicious that a Death Eater just happened to be at the time when Dumbledore hears the prophecy. Where did he hear it?"

"You won't believe this. Dumbledore was evidently performing an interview at the Hog's Head with someone regarding the Divination Course when it was given, and that the Death Eater was listening outside the door when Aberforth threw him out of the pub for eavesdropping." Lily could only nod at the incredulous expression on Derrick's face. "That was my reaction."

"That makes it even more suspect about the situation. I understand the course has not been updated for some time and that he was going to abolish it. What are the odds that the prophecy is phony?" Derrick asked after shaking his head.

"Exactly, not helped when I figured out who took the post." Lily let out a snort of derision. "It is Sybill Trelawney."

"Trelawney... That is a family of Seers if I recall. But isn't the line almost Squibbed out?" Derrick asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Her mother was often called 'The Last Seer' since she was the one with the Gift. Sybill on the other hand is known to be dramatic with less-than-stellar grades, and a bit of a drinker. Considering the interview, there is a chance that she could have faked it." Lily answered.

"If that is the case, this makes things worse as she could be screwing you guys over just so she could hang on to a job." Derrick made a note that Lily read upside down about checking Sybill's authenticity. "We will get to that in a short while. Did Dumbledore tell you who was the Death Eater?"

"Nope, and this is one bit that he was really tight-lipped on. The only thing he said was that the Death Eater who had heard it regretted his decision and had turned spy for us. I still find that suspicious but he would not budge on it." Lily looked at Derrick who had an unreadable expression at her words. "You know who it is."

"Not so much of knowing, more like good guessing. Although in this case I am praying to be wrong." Derrick sighed and stayed silent for a moment before looking up. "It could be Severus Snape." Lily felt a pang of pain, anger and light regret hearing that name. She and Severus Snape were once friends growing up, but the few years after being sorted into two houses known for their rivalry, their differing opinions on the Dark Arts, his choice of companionship with those who would now be known as Death Eaters, the bullying done by James, and other smaller issues, it all came to a head around their fifth year when she tried to help him from James's bullying only to have it returned by him snapping at her and calling her that foul name. She broke their friendship off on that day and did not look back on it too much, only briefly falling into a light depression at how her once friend have fell into the tough crowd and been seduced by the Dark Arts to become one of them.

It was in a way, very hurtful for her memories of him.

"... Is there a chance that you could be wrong?"

"I am thinking so, if only for your sake." Derrick answered bluntly, knowing about her relationship with the person in question. "The problem is the timing. I know that Snape was a junior Death Eater around that period and has been seeking an incentive to be brought into the Inner Circle. While I highly doubt that he knew about Harry at the time, that supposed prophecy would be a good ticket to his entry." He took another sip of the tea to quench the thirst. "It would only be after the birth of Harry and Neville that he would realize his mistake, and considering you will be the likely casualty, he would have gone to Dumbledore in hopes of saving you at least."

Lily sighed again, knowing that was likely to be the case with her old friend. There was 'something' that did make her feel a little uncomfortable back then but she had ignored it to stay friends with him. It was only after she broke off their friendship that the 'something' became a bit more defined in the form of Snape following her in attempts to reconcile, and a light in his eyes that made her feel that he was somewhat looking through her clothes. And he did not hide his increased hatred for James when they got married.

"Moving on. There is also the odd location to do a job interview. It is weird doing it in a bar where people can overhear conversations even in a private room, at a time where secrecy is required, and the fact that a job interview for a course should have been done in Hogwarts." Derrick tapped the pen on the paper thoughtfully. "He can't very well say that he was doing it out of convenience of Sybill, there is something else going on." Derrick shook his head after a while. "I might come back to that later."

"Considering what little you gathered from Dumbledore, this prophecy, if it exists, likely refers to Harry and Neville as possible candidates to beat the Dark Lord, possibly based on their births given the time range from when you started hiding in safe-houses. He is limiting your mobility to go about your missions, your options to be hidden and in turn makes you completely dependent on him to keep you safe. Options that are reliant on people that may get caught or turn traitor and give out your secrets." Derrick gripped his fists tightly as the cogs in his head churned out an idea that was very unpleasant. "I am hoping that he is not this bad; I think he is setting you guys up."

"You had that thought as well?" Lily sounded resigned. "You want to walk me through your thinking? Maybe there is something we can prove otherwise?"

"Dumbledore is not doing enough to stop this war, people are dying and demanding immediate results yet he is limiting your attack options to stunners. The Ministry is pretty much divided between the Death Eaters and the defenders, with Crouch serving as the main protector for his ruthlessness. Dumbledore wants to end the war quickly on his own terms, but that is not working with his usual modus operandi. And while Crouch's methods are working, the fighters on our side are dropping and they are getting pushed into a corner." Derrick talked out loud his thoughts on the matter, his mind going through scenarios that could happen at any moment. "Now in this dark hour, along comes a prophecy that supposedly states that a child is meant to go against the main villain. Depending on the wording, it could be something along the lines of 'only the child being able to defeat the bad guy', the person that so far no one else can. What do you think will happen in that scenario?"

"Considering the current state, such a child would become the rock star of the magical world." Lily cupped her face in her hands in frustration. "Either Harry or Neville would be famous overnight."

"Exactly, and with both children being of 'Light' Families" - Derrick snorted at the labels given - "they can become targets for both sides, either for control or to eliminate." He raised a hand to stop her potential retort. "I know it is unpleasant, but hear me out first. With that much riding on the kids and the potential to rid the world of the bad guy and shape the world in whatever manner they want, it does point to Dumbledore wanting to gain control of them or something related to them. The only ones standing in his way of ending the war on his own terms?" He pointed to her with a single finger to give the answer.

There was only one thing Lily could say to that.

"Fuck!" She threw her arms up in the air. "I was afraid you would give that answer. This is exactly how I am thinking as a worse case. Especially with the compulsions that were on me, it is like he primed them ready for the event the bloody death eater come knocking on my front door."

"I am only basing this on what I got. Again, we need to hear the actual prophecy to get the wording. I will try to get Croaker; you do the same but try with the others as well. Think you can force Dumbledore's hand again?" Lily shook her head at his query.

"We managed to wring it out of him but he did not give the wording, and considering how close lipped he normally is, he might consider obliviating us just to keep his secrets, and maybe add his own twist to it."

"I see… Croaker would be our best bet." Derrick hummed before raising a finger. "Dumbledore is trying to install a Secret Keeper for you guys, have you made your choices?"

"Well I would like it to be either James or myself, or even Alice or Frank." Lily admitted with a sigh. "But Dumbledore insist on a different person altogether. I know that Frank and Alice are willing to let Augusta be their Secret Keeper, because let's face it, no one wants to go against one of the Five Battle Axes of Scotland." Derrick unsuccessfully stifled a snort at the title. "They should be safe to some extent. For us, James wants to get one of the others to do it, against my better judgement."

"One of his Marauders then." His lip curling lightly gave away Derrick's thoughts on the matter. "Well logically, it would be either Black or Remus. Those two should be ideal." He paused with a thought appearing. "Then again, with their penchant for pranks and misdirection, Potter or Black would go with the unlikely choice." Lily look confused before comprehension dawned on her.

"Peter?! You think they would use Peter for the secret keeper?!" Lily exclaimed at that, to which Derrick shrugged.

"I am thinking how they would go about about it. Sirius Black, the 'white' sheep of the Black Family. Known prankster and sworn brother to James Potter, to the point of running away from his house to the Potters. His loyalty has been known since Hogwarts and carried on to their jobs as Aurors." Derrick started talking. "Remus Lupin, the smart and quiet kid who knows how to get away with pranks. If Potter and Black are the front-runners, he would be the brains and silent partner, rarely getting caught. With his strengths of the lycanthropy, he has an added advantage to pick out anyone trying to catch him and thinks of Harry as his pack. He would be my first choice honestly."

"In a way, he can be, especially after you helped clear the air on his allegiance and loyalty." Lily gave a smile at that.

"Honestly, just because he is a werewolf and not in contact for a while, does not mean he is turning 'dark'." Derrick rolled his eyes and did the finger quoting action. "And I find it very odd that Dumbledore did not defend one of his pet students considering he was the one sending Remus to all those areas outside Britain to contact the werewolf packs."

"It did bug me about that. The others were too ready to blame him for some reason." Lily agreed on his words before pausing. "Wait a minute, would this tie in to earlier?"

"In a way, yes. I believe that Dumbledore is trying to limit your options for protection, including a werewolf who has been doing all he can to aid you but gets sent out to far-off locations where communication would be limited, and would you bet that the old man would tell him to not make contact on grounds of 'protecting information'?" Derrick raised an eyebrow before continuing. "We can continue on that later."

"Finally, we have the last member of the Marauders, Peter Pettigrew. Honestly speaking, he is the least notable member of the group, the small one and the most skittish. The first one to get frightened easily, he seeks protection from those with power." Derrick took another sip of the tea to quench his throat. "With all of that, whom would one believe to be the Secret Keeper for a Fidelius Charm? Sirius Black, sworn brother to James Potter? Or Peter Pettigrew, the nervous kid and odd one out of the group?"

"... James and Sirius would probably do that, for some bright idea of getting one over You-Know-Who." Lily palmed her face at the idea of her husband doing that. "It is possible to work, certainly crazy enough of an idea to work, but I do not know about the success rate. There is too much riding on that to work without issues."

"It depends on who is casting the charm and who are around." Derrick pointed to her again. "From what I know, you have the capabilities to cast the charm, and then we have Dumbledore. Considering his insistence, I would bet that he wants to know who would be the keeper, and likely he would perform the charm itself. He could even insist on knowing the secret on grounds of protection."

"Yes, on that bit, he really wanted the secret on paper." The frown got grimmer on Lily's face. "Shit, it does seem that he wants us under his control and maybe out of the way. Normally a charm like that is effective by word of mouth or a cipher spell, anyone can grab the paper and say the secret out provided it is freely given." She took a big gulp of her tea, not caring that it was lightly scorching her throat as she needed to process her thoughts on this.

"Lily, this might sound very paranoid of me, but have you written out your will?" Derrick asked with a major frown. "And per chance does Dumbledore know about it?"

"We did the initial orb-wills in Gringotts when Harry was about to be born and then another revision after his birth, I think Dumbledore knows about James's orb. Mine has been updated at least five times times since then." Lily answered. "Though if we are going under a Fidelius Charm, we may need to update it again."

"When you do update your wills, make sure to have copies and include whatever details relating to the circumstances. See if you can get a copy of it sent directly to Barty Crouch as one of the contingencies. Also, if you are forced into hiding, try to find a way to double-check on your wills. With how you guys would be cut-off from the world, there is a possibility that your wills could be subverted." Lily looked at Derrick with horror at his words. "Yes, I know that this sounds unbelievable and stinks of conspiracy, and I really hope to be wrong and not want to put undue stress on you right now. But I am thinking out of the box on this; I rather go overboard with your protection and not need it, than to be left wanting when it could have been implemented." Lily could not help the chill down her spine as she considered his words and the ideas that had popping in her mind since she heard of the prophecy. There was a fair amount going on that she was having issues trying to wrap her head around, and it did not help with Dumbledore acting more cagey than usual. She wanted to refute Derrick's words, but something held her back.

__A memory of when Dumbledore came to visit them after Harry's birth…__

__A memory of the old man asking oddly specific questions about Harry…__

__A memory of an odd light in his eyes as he looked at the boy performing unusually strong accidental magic with a rather hungry look…__

"Lily!"

Lily blinked as the face of her friend filled her vision, concern evident on his face. It was when she realized that she was now on the ground with him holding her tightly, the cup of tea having been dropped to the ground.

"Deep breaths, Lily! Take them slowly!" Derrick carried her to the couch to lay her down on it. "Here, take the draught." Lily took the draught handed to her and took a sip, immediately calming down from the panic settling in. "I am so sorry. I did not mean to unload that type of information on you."

"A little bit, but I think I needed it." Lily took another gulp of the draught to better control her emotions. "Something about your thoughts reminded me of the times Dumbledore came to check on Harry sometime after his birth. I did not think too much at the time, but there was something about his eyes and behaviour when he visited Harry and Harry performed magic, it was a bit… disturbing. That was what got me thinking about another bit."

"Alice is Harry's sworn godmother while Sirius is his godfather. In the event something happens to James and me, they are the first ones to gain custody of Harry. I am Neville's godmother in the same manner." Lily took a deep breath to steady herself. "If what you say is true, if Dumbledore wants to gain some influence over them, the worse he could do would be to eliminate us all to ensure no one can gain custody." It was clear even with the calming draught, Lily was on the verge of bursting into tears. "He would also need to have some control over our wills. If he were to use the Wizengamot to seal off our wills, no one will know anything as he could easily declare himself magical guardian with all the crap going on. Then again, if he tries to subvert the wills with his own version, Harry could be placed under the control of one under his command."

"And that is why you need to confirm about your wills." Derrick sat down by the chair next to the couch so that he could look at her while she laid down. "Look, I did not mean to frighten you. You know my style; I am practically pulling an Alastor Moody out of my ass just to keep people alive. I don't want you and Harry to die, as well as Frank and Alice. And I suppose" Derrick grumbled lightly "James Potter should be protected as well." His words meant a lot to Lily, and at the same time put a light smile on her face despite the situation.

"You still do not like him all these years, do you?" That question earned her a deadpan expression from Derrick.

"You know very well that my relationship with the Marauders are not that great. With the exception of Remus, the rest of them are not people I would associate on a daily basis." Derrick huffed. "No matter how much people tell me they have changed from Hogwarts, I have a better shot being friends with Snape, and that guy hates my guts almost as much as Black." Lily winced at that answer, knowing that to a certain extent it was true. For whatever odd reason, Snape hated Derrick on a level he reserved for James and Sirius, a behaviour that made many wonder why he hated the Ravenclaw considering his attitude was very different from the Maruaders.

"Anyway, that does not matter right now." Derrick shook his head. "We need to do as much prep-work as possible before you leave, for I know, I may not get a chance to see you in person any time soon."

"Agreed, what do you have in mind?" Lily asked. Derrick looked at the notes one more time before nodding.

"Here is what I got so far…"

~ooOOoo~

**(Halloween, 1981)**

Lily panted as she got up the stairs and made her way to Harry's room, activating the multiple runes that littered the corridor leading up to it. She reached the room and closed it shut, reinforcing and barricading the door before going to the dresser and leant on it, silently trying to contain her tears and pain while mentally thanking Derrick for the backup plans they made for the occasion.

It was about a day after her discussion with Derrick that the Potters finally went about selecting their Secret Keeper for the Fidelius Charm, and right off the bat, James and Sirius suggested the ruse of using Peter as the real keeper while Sirius acted as the decoy. Lily had kept an eye on Dumbledore as they spoke of it, and barely held back the shiver at the gleam of light in his eyes. It was a further test of her Occlumency when they did the ritual, and while the others did not see it, Lily had a good look at the smug satisfaction on his face before he wiped it off. It was a good thing that she had haggled James into updating their wills again in order for her to insert the extra details to ensure people know about their secrecy. She even took the chance to ensure that one copy of the will was to be sent to Barty Crouch along with one vial containing the memory of the ritual conducted.

After that, it was a couple more months of exchanging ideas and equipment with Derrick and Croaker who had been brought in to help out (not before hexing Derrick for the paperwork the young man gave the Unspeakable for exposing Augusta Rookwood, much to Lily's amusement). It was amazing and a touch scary seeing two people with very different methodology discuss ways of taking down their separate enemies in the most efficient, if not downright insane, methods imaginable as they gave her all sorts of items to booby-trap her residence.

On the home-front, things have gotten very tense between her and James. He did not like how Lily kept disobeying Dumbledore's orders to stun or disarm their enemies, or how she kept questioning him on their protections. Ad perhaps one of the more silly notions in Lily's opinion, James did not like how she was 'getting closer to the silly Ravenclaw' as he referred to Derrick in the past. Their arguments had been getting louder and a couple of times Lily had to spend nights alone with Harry to ease him into sleep. Even at a young age, Harry was quite in tuned to his surroundings and knew something was making them upset.

Lily had gone through with the plans to ensure that Harry was safe and their orb-wills were to be read upon their deaths. It was a good thing that she got a chance to get out of the house and visited Gringotts as she had discovered, much to her anger, that Dumbledore had attempted to replace their orb-wills with a handwritten version that stated that he was the only one to gain custody over Harry and all of his assets, along with a notation that upon his death all the money would be split evenly between him and the Weasleys. It was with some pain and effort that she got James to come along to fix this, playing with the idea on how he was acting strangely around their last fight with some Death Eaters and urged him to go and see a healer for any mind-altering charms.

It was perhaps with a great deal of relief to Lily to have James acting somewhat normal after the curse-breaking and healing sessions that saw the removal of multiple potions and compulsions. James was understandably worried and pissed at Dumbledore having done this to him, and sought to get their wills fixed and updated to the latest, before helping Lily with the preparations of the traps. He was however still reluctant to work with Derrick, and only did so at her insistence. There was also the issue of his attitude that was still there even after the removal, which meant that James had actually regressed and it did not help her mood much.

Their preparations were completed in the nick of time, as on Halloween night, Voldemort had appeared on their front yard in Godric's Hollow and blasted the front door down, not before setting off the traps that engulfed the area in fire. James had stuck behind to grant her time, but from the sound of it, he had fallen to the mad man. Lily could only pray that the next set of traps were ready.

The sounds of explosions rocking the corridor and cursing broke her thoughts, making Lily go to the corner to avoid the obvious attack coming. Just in time as the door got blown off, hitting the wall at the far end as Voldemort walked in with his robes torn and some cuts bleeding. With his hood removed, Lily could see how the years of dark rituals had ravaged what could have been a handsome face, his crimson eyes looking and settling on her with glee and a touch of rage.

"Good evening , Lady Potter. I must say, your welcoming could use some improvements." Voldemort spoke with the air of one commenting on the weather. "As much as I enjoyed that, I have better things to do." His cursory glance made his eyes narrowed in suspicion before focusing back on her. "For starters, where is your son?"

"If you wanted to meet my son, you have to make an appointment." Lily smiled defiantly at him. "He is not here for the time being, sorry for the wasted trip." She barely answered before jumping out of the way from the torture curse he sent her way. Rolling across the ground, Lily fired off a few curses at the man who flicked them away contemptuously and sent out a wave of energy that sent her flying to the wall, lightly cracking it from the impact while she gasped in pain. Before she got a chance to move, a sharp pain went through her body like electricity going through her spine and she was squirming on the floor in agony, her wand rolling to the side.

"Really, women." Voldemort released the spell and rolled his eyes at her. "I am actually being generous right now. Normally I would end your life by now, but you have been promised to someone, a person with rather greasy hair in my opinion. I don't grant requests that often, so I would really appreciate it if I did not have to hurt you too much."

"I see, so Snape had asked for me huh?" Lily spat partially to clear the blood out of her mouth from biting too hard, and in part to curse her once old friend in contempt. "He really has lost it."

"Not my problem, my dear." Voledmort raised his wand again, ready to fire off another curse. "Now time is wasting, tell me where is your son?"

"Well away from you." Lily answered and got another Crucio for her troubles, mentally praying that the next trap would be sufficient to buy time for the next bit.

"My patience is growing thin." Voldemort snarled while the tip of his wand glowed green. "Where. Is Your. Son?" Lily could not answer even if she wanted to; the pain coursing through her body was excruciating indeed to earn the curse its title. She panted heavily as her eyes flicked to the cupboard behind him before going back to him.

"Oh…" Voldemort noted her action and turned slowly while maintaining the wand on her. "A classic I see. Hiding your child in the cupboard." His eyes flicked back to her while a smirk grew on his face at the sight of her wide eyes of fear and her increased struggle to move. "I might as well let you see the last moments of your son." With a flick of his wand, Lily was levitated and stiffened against the wall, her eyes wide open at the cupboard upon which Voldemort made his way to. With deliberate movements, he laid his hands on the door handles, paused for a moment, and with a flourish threw them open…

'CRASH!'

Only to get a jar swing down from the top and smashing him in the chest, covering him in a tar like potion.

"GAH!" Voldemort cursed as the liquid went into his eyes and gave it a burning feeling. With a snarl, he turned to face Lily only to find her released from his binding spell and holding a lighter in her hand.

"As Derrick would put it." Lily lit the lighter with a smirk. "Yippee Ki Yay, motherfucker." She flicked it before activating her shield rune on her necklace. A spark appeared between them before the entire room exploded in a fireball of flames, blowing the windows and parts of the ceiling off from the force. Lily herself got knocked off her feet and sent flying out of the room, through the wrecked corridor and down the stairs, finally coming to a stop at the bottom. Lily groaned as the shield flickered and broke down, the rune stone on her necklace crumbling from the over-exertion to protect her. She may have underestimated the force of the blast that came from that potion mix of whatever combustible ingredients she could get her hands on along with some nitroglycerin courtesy of Derrick's military connections, but it should at least injure Voldemort greatly if not kill him outright.

She was just glad that Harry was placed somewhere else under another Fidelius charm to protect him.

Lily slowly got up to her feet and made her way to the front door, pausing to see the body of her husband on the ground, his eyes wide open and glazed over and a small trail of blood from his mouth. Lily went to him and checked for a pulse, scrunching up her eyes at the lack of it. Even if he was still alive, the cuts and curses on his body along with the bleeding made it impossible for him to live long enough for her to get him to Saint Mungo for treatment. She did feel sorrow for her loss, but a small part in Lily's mind felt the loss was not as painful as one would think; despite appearances, they had their arguments on and off, and even with the potions and compulsions removed from James, his attitude towards certain people and his ignorance to anything muggle was grating to say the least.

Lily decided to worry more on that later, she needed to get to Harry.

With that thought and a hand closing James's eyes, Lily got up and went out of the front door and to the front yard that had definitely seen better days, what with the craters in the grounds and bushes on fire. Lily did do a double-take at seeing Peter on the ground, bleeding out from the stumps of what used to be his legs. Lily did not fight the compulsion to go and kick him in the jewels, getting some sense of satisfaction from hearing his yelp of pain. Oddly enough, this may have saved her as her second kick went high and caused her to fall to her side just as a green beam of light flew past her head. With a touch of dread, Lily turned to find Voldemort barely standing on his legs, with a fair amount of his robes destroyed from fire or the shredding effects, his body bleeding heavily and missing an arm, and a good deal of rage keeping him upright.

"You. Damn. Mudblood!" Voldemort seethed as he made his way to her, the rage and adrenaline giving him strength to move and firing a spell at her to stop her movements. "That was your worst mistake. I am going to make you suffer a great deal for what you did to me. First, I will tear the location of your son out of your mind, then I will make you watch as I demonstrate how I would keep torturing him and keep him alive enough to last until I end him, and then I will hand you over to my men for their enjoyment." Voldemort stopped at where she laid and directed the wand at her head. "I will at least try to keep my promise to Severus to have you alive, but he did not state that I have to keep your mind intact." The wand glowed a crimson red in preparation of hurting her. "Any last coherent thoughts?"

"Not from her, but I got something."

_'___BANG!'__

A loud gunshot reverberated in the night, followed by a scream of agony as Voldemort dropped to his knees and looked at the stump of his wand hand, his wand having become splinters among the blown off flesh. Lily did not look for too long as she got lifted and sent to the arms of Derrick who caught her while maintaining a gun on Voldemort. After a quick check on her, Derrick handed her to a man who was next to him in military slags and took her to safety. Without hesitation, he fired his gun to have two severing spells hitting the dark wizard in the legs, forcing him to have no limbs to move about.

"Who dares to attack me!" Voldemort roared as Derrick got into his view, the mirrored shades reflecting the light of the fire around him.

"That would be me." Derrick pointed the gun at him. "I doubt you know me by sight, but some of your Death Eaters do from my little hunts."

"You…" Voldemort growled like an angry animal. "You are that hit-wizard who acts as messenger boy for the British Muggle Government, you have been taking down my men for all this time."

"Got it in one. Now if you don't mind, I will need to be silent so that I can read you your rights." Derrick fired off a silencing charm before reciting his rights, just in case he got arrested and needed to show that he had followed procedures. "You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can, and will, be used against you in court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford one, one will be appointed to you." Derrick paused before smirking as he removed the charm. "Anything you want to say?"

"You cannot hold me. The Dementors are under my command, Azkaban would merely be my next home." Voldemort boasted with a sneer. "And even if you managed to keep me behind bars or consider killing me, it would be futile. I have studied and undergone rituals that transcend life-and death. I alone have gone beyond what most would deem acceptable. I have achieved true immortality! You may have stopped me now, and perhaps would send for my death." Voldemort looked Derrick in the eye with a dark chuckle. "But you are but a small particle of sand in time. You will grow old and perish, whereas I can live forever. I am patient enough to wait for you all to fall, and then I will return to destroy everything you hold dear, and I will get my hands on the boy. So go ahead, do your worst." At that Derrick leaned forward slowly, until Voldemort could see his reflection on the mirrored shades.

"That's fine with me, because just like you, I can be very patient myself." Derrick maintained his tone and expression while speaking. "I figured you would do something to maintain your longevity, you are not the first dark lord to do this. Based on your words, I can think of a few." Derrick straightened himself while taking out a medallion. "Thank you for confirming my suspicions though. With that, I can afford to be a little heavy-handed in dealing with you. I will be seeing you in the near future. Until then." Derrick fired off a petrification charm to freeze Voldemort before dumping the medallion on him, transporting him to a safe location with a loud pop.

"Sir, we have taken into custody one Peter Pettigrew and retrieved the available evidence." The man from earlier came forward. "Our officers are already setting up a perimeter and going through the area for other suspects. Philip and his team are now handling the house to retrieve James Potter and any other people inside."

"Good work, Carlos." Derrick checked his gun before holstering it. "Get someone to transport Lily Potter to the safe house and ensure that she gets medical care. If she asks for communication to get her son, do so but ensure no one can listen in. After that, set up the checkpoints and the marshallers. Expect people to come here within the next few minutes. Prepare for the ones of the Order to force their way."

"Right away sir!" Carlos gave a quick salute before rushing off to complete the orders. Derrick sighed and cracked his neck before looking back at Godric Hollow where Philip's team were preparing to move the body of James Potter out. Derrick knew this was not going to be the end of the matter; Lily and his crew may have dealt with Voldemort for now, but there was still the issue of Death Eaters out there wrecking havoc and likely a lot more with Voldemort out of the picture, not to mention the possibility of Dumbledore doing something to get his hands on Lily and Harry. He would need to make contact with Frank and Alice Longbottom to at least ensure Neville was safe before moving on with other plans.

"I am so going to need a drink after this."


	12. Fifth House

**Disclaimer:**

I solemnly swear that the literature and works of the Harry Potter Verse belong to JK Rowling, Bloomberg and Warner Bros. The only thing I own are the one-shot ideas that popped into my head and whatever OCs I would create for them. This is a work of pure fiction made solely for fun, constructive reviews will be welcomed, flames will be ignored. Any references to characters in real-life or fiction are purely coincidental. If I could make money out of my ideas, it would be nice...

Mischief Managed Damn It!

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**Title:** The House of Skepticism and Common Sense (Working Title)

**Posted Date:** July 31 2020

**Tags:** Fifth House of Hogwarts, Common sense trumping magic, Younger / Mentor / BAMF Bathsheda Babbling, Sorting Hat Mentor, other character focus

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The sounds of chatter filled the Great Hall as students and staff alike awaited the sorting of the new batch of students for the year 1991. This was the year that mattered to people in different meanings, whether it was a regular year close to graduation, a year to welcome the generation marked by war, a year to welcome the saviour of Britain, or a year of cunning plans coming to fruition.

But for one hat staying disillusioned beneath a spell, this was a year that needed changing.

The Sorting Hat looked at the students that it had sorted into their houses over the years, and sighed at how many have failed to meet their potential, all because they wished to fit into the stereotypes imposed on the houses. How the children wished to fit in with one another and in so doing, alienate the rest that do not conform to their way of thinking. The Sorting Hat could not help wondering how the Founders would react to this, when to some extent they helped to push that image. It had counted maybe a small handful of students who had reached their potential to earn the respect they rightfully deserved, only to be destroyed by the people of Britain for going beyond their stated fixture.

This was not helped by the recent years of war due to that young man Tom Marvolo Riddle, a person whom the hat could tell carried a lot of resentment inside his heart but held some of the greatest potential that could be used to usher in a new age for Britain. The hat believed that in Slytherin, he could reach his potential and helped to heal the world. And in many ways it was right, but the darkness in the boy's heart was too strong, not helped with perceptions on blood purity that perverted the country, nor was the unusual focus displayed by Dumbledore.

All this made Hogwarts very sad in her foundations. The Hat could feel her pain from the machinations of the headmaster, how her attempts to protect her students were stopped and the situation was barely simmering under the safety level.

No, this could not go on.

The Sorting Hat needed to do something about this, but what could it do? It was ultimately a tool to sort and perhaps give advice that most would not bother listening to. The change had to come from the students or staff, but it was a long shot.

Its thoughts were interrupted when the doors opened to usher in the new students for is sorting. The hat would give it a thought later, right now it had to do its duty, especially since this was the year that Albus kept trying to influence its decision to sort certain students, especially his 'weapon' as he kept referring to the poor lad.

The old man forgets that it was the hat who did the sorting, not him.

~ooOOoo~

For one Harry Potter, he was feeling overwhelmed by everything around him.

He was finally at the place where his parents evidently studied at, and away from the place that his 'relatives' had kept him under protest. He was now in a place where his relatives could not get to him, a place that could explain all the weird things he had done.

It was also a place that had people knowing him and his family more than himself.

Harry did not know how to feel at the idea that people knew him for surviving an attack that took away his parents, or that they wrote stories of him living in castles and having adventures while he was languishing at the Dursleys and getting punished for the minor of issues. Everything was so new and frightening to him, he did not know what to think.

Harry watched the sorting with interest as each prospective student got called forth to be sorted into their future houses, noting how some would get in immediately while others took a while. His companion Ron Weasley groaned when the girl named Hermione Granger got sorted into Gryffindor, and inwardly Harry felt torn about it, considering the girl's attitude and how he did not think Ron was being reasonable to voice out his words of her in the house of the lions. Harry felt a bit sorry for Neville as his sorting took a while to be confirmed, and then he got laughed at for taking the hat with him in his joy of getting into Hogwarts. Harry then affirmed his thoughts of not going to where Draco Malfoy was going once the hat announced his placement without even touching his head.

Yet, there was something niggling at the back of his head regarding the sorting. Harry was not sure what to think at the idea of being judged by the colors of the house upon the sorting. It just seemed odd to him, but he had no idea why and he dared not voice it out. Further thoughts got interrupted when his name was called out, prompting to walk forward while whispers broke out around him as the others leaned and stretched to try and catch a glimpse of him. Harry sat on the chair and tried to ignore the children and teens blatantly staring at him for what's to come.

Then the rim of the hat covered his eyes, something which he was truly grateful of to not see their faces, and Harry waited silently while resisting the urge to fidget.

**"******Hmm. How interesting."****

Harry stiffened at the voice that suddenly came about in his mind, feeling a touch freaked out at the invasion of his mind, even if he had some idea of it from the verse of the song.

**"******Apologies for the intrusion, young lad. Rest assured that I mean you no harm, and that whatever goes on in your mind remains strictly between the two of us."**** The voice remarked in a soothing tone.

"Erm, okay?" Harry spoke lightly. The voice gave off a chuckle at that.

**"******You need not answer verbally to me, just think out your thoughts and I can talk to you like that. Well then, let's see what is in your mind shall we?"**** Harry had the odd sensation of his thoughts being rummaged like someone trying to go through papers for something. **"******Ah! There we go. Hmm~ I must say, you are certainly an interesting read, Mister Potter. Now where should I put you?"****

__'I am more or less okay with any one, just not Slytherin, Mister Sorting Hat.'__ Harry answered with his thoughts.

**"******Oh my, so polite you are."**** The hat chuckled at his words. **"******You may call me by my real name, Sebastian. It is certainly less of a mouthful. Now then, not Slytherin ********you say? Ah, I see that you have a rather problematic first and second impression with Mister Malfoy, not to mention the dark descriptions of the house, but do not count the house out just yet just because of a few bad apples and stereotypical rumors. I believe you do not wish to think like your silly relatives, do you?"**** That definitely got Harry to think a bit on that question, and then grimaced at how he was already judging on the house of snakes just on first impressions.

**"******Got you thinking huh? Then again, your sources of information are biased in their own manner. Hagrid had never gotten over how he was expelled over a certain matter by a Slytherin whom, while done with bad intentions, did raise the concerns of a creature running around with the potential of hurting people. And as for your other companion, he has been raised in a family that has seen Slytherin in a bad light over a feud lasting for quite a few years now, not to mention that he would likely be instructed to tell anyone to get away from Slytherin."****

_'___Why would Ron do that?'__

**"******Well, as stated Mister Weasley's family does not like those raised around the Dark Arts, and aside of a small handful, they can be a touch fanatical without reasoning. One of the reasons why they follow Albus so readily and pretty much do whatever he wants, whom I might add is quite the busybody and insistent on getting you into the house of Gryffindor by all means."****

_'___Wait a minute, how is where I am going any of his business? Is it not our choice or yours for that matter to decide about the houses? I mean, I get that he is some important person who defeated someone in a war, and he has posts like being the headmaster and some position as a judge, but the more I am hearing about him, the more I am wondering about how people just follow him like he is some magic Jesus that they should be devoted to without question.'__ Harry replied back a little hastily as recollections of how people kept praising Dumbledore and how he seemed to have no faults. _'___I do not have proof, but I get the feeling he may also know about my placement with the Dursleys.'__

**"******And you would be right about that."**** Sebastian answered firmly. **"******He did play a key role in placing you with the Dursleys, an action that is actually illegal I might add. Nope, I can't tell you all right now. I will leave that for later if you would allow me to continue with the sorting."**** Harry was having a mental war over the hat's words but decided to yield for the time being.

**"******Thank you, I will try to finish this up. You do have courage in you waiting to come forth, after all you had to endure all those years under those damn muggles to make it this far. Your brand of courage is certainly a different sort from the stereotype of those 'brave enough to walk where no angels dare', it is rather refreshing to say the least. But it appears that you have made up your mind on that house."****

_'___...People seemed to look at me as the so-called "Boy-Who-Lived" or the son of James and Lily Potter. I don't even know my parents at all, yet all of them expect me to be some copy of them or at least my father, going about on adventures. I do not think going into the house they went to really defines me, and it is not just because I do not want to go to where that old man wants me to be!'__ Harry added that last bit in haste, to which the hat chuckled again.

**"******Need not worry lad, you are hardly the first to want to step out of the shadows of one's family. Despite what people tell you, your family line has seen all four houses, not exclusively Gryffindor. Yes, that means members of your family line have been a Hufflepuff, a Ravenclaw, and a Slytherin. Three times for the last one if memory serves."****

_'___Really?'__ Harry perked up at that unexpected bit of information.

**"******Indeed. I can tell you more later if you wish, but we really should speed up the sorting. The students are looking quite hungry."**** Sebastian remarked before continuing. **"******it would seem that Gryffindor is out, and I suppose Slytherin is excluded ********as well ********despite your hidden talents ********and ********cunning. With all the children of past followers to the Dark Lord in one place, your life would be in constant danger. You have intelligence that derives a little from books and more on how to keep yourself from getting hurt (apologies for your hurt), and you know how to apply them. But Ravenclaw might not be good enough for you as you have opposing approaches to viewing intelligence."****

**"******Loyalty to you, is a commodity that many have taken for granted for many years. You do not have close friends due to your upbringing, but the few who could reach out to you would likely gain that loyalty, provided of course that they do not betray that trust.****" Sebastian paused before continuing in a grave tone. **"******I do not often offer advice on matters of this level, but from what I am discerning from your memories, I wish to impart a warning even if you feel that I am merely rambling. There are plenty who wish to take advantage of your lack of knowledge of this world and your lack of self-worth. You had one example from Mister Malfoy, and then we have the headmaster who wishes to place you in the house to reinforce the image you have. There are also the subtle hints that two of your companions have done beforehand."****

_'___... Then what should I do?'__ While Harry may be able to hide his expression from the outside world due to the hat covering his head, his mind was turbulent with all the thoughts of his upbringing and the people he had met so far, all open to the Sorting Hat to view. Not for the first time, Sebastian wished to have a physical body in order to hug the children that come to it if not pat the head lightly to reassure them. In this case, Sebastian wanted a body to wrap Albus's beard around his neck for the plans he had for the boy.

It may be physically incapable of doing that, but perhaps it can do the alternative.

**"******I can only grant you advice, it is your choice ********to decide."**** Sebastian answered before chuckling. **"******I must say, it has been a while since I had anyone able to question my words and let me take apart their thoughts so willingly. Not to mention you having such qualities that qualify you for the houses and disqualified at the same time. Hmm~ I wonder…"****

_'___Are there houses I do fit? I mean, it is odd that people of certain types go into these four, at least that is how I think considering we are only eleven and they just view us that way. What if there are those who don't fit, or maybe fit them all at once?'__

**"******Good, good! You are pointing at the heart of this little dilemma, everyone seems to judge you youngsters the moment the colors come onto you, whether you are reckless, a bookworm, an upcoming dark lord, or a nobody who won't have anything to achieve. People seemed to believe that the colors define the residents of Britain, along with the blood flowing inside oneself. No one looks to talents or worth as much as they used to!"**** Sebastian then gave a hum, something that got Harry thinking that the hat had an idea. **"******Young lad, I have an idea for you to consider."****

_'___An idea?'__

**"******As you may have surmised, Hogwarts has been defined and set by four founders. Their traits are often touted as being the types that people should aspire to have when entering their house, but over the years, people have been misled and made to follow ideals that are not good for oneself or others. What people do not remember or even realize, there were other people who helped out in the creation of Hogwarts. There were others who had ideas of how an academy of magic should be done. Some whom I also had the pleasure of interacting when I was first made and granted some of their magic to aid with the sorting."**** Sebastian talked while the idea took root in both their minds. **"******I have been waiting to ask someone this question for a good many years. Tell me, would you like to be sorted into a fifth house of your own?"****

_'___Wait, what?'__ Harry had his eyes wide open, not that anyone could tell with the hat covering his head. _'___Is that even allowed?'__

**"******Oh, I'm sure the staff will be thrown into chaos and the students will be completely out of sorts, not to mention a big great mess to come once news of this gets out of the castle. But quite frankly in my opinion, it will be worth it just for the pandemonium. This situation has gone on for too long, it needs to be shaken up. Besides, the old farts like Dumbledore (pardon my language dear boy) are overdue for a comeuppance for how badly they've screwed up this school."**** Sebastian answered with a very jovial tune evident in its tone. **"******And I have stated, you have traits that both qualify and disqualify you for the current houses. Why not have a fifth to handle this?"****

_'___Will I be the only one though?'__ Harry asked feeling a little worried of being singled out.

**"******Not if I take a good look at the other minds to come. Oh dear."****

_'___What is the matter?'__

**"******It would appear that Albus does not like how long I am taking to sort you and is trying to influence me to get you into the house he wants. Time to shake his beard off, think you can play along with me?"**** Sebastian asked with a cheeky tone.

_'___Okay, you can count me in.'__ Harry replied with a cheeky smile of his own. This could be fun.

**"******Right then."**** Sebastian straightened itself up before turning on his head and calling out loud. **"******Trying to influence my sorting, Albus?"****

~ooOOoo~

This was unprecedented.

For the most part, the sorting of students would not take too long, what with many having desires to enter the house their parents or friends went to, or traits that were evident in their minds. Every so often, there would be a few that would take a few minutes like Neville Longbottom due to them either having dual traits that made them ideal for other houses, or they wish to argue their placement. Those cases were referred to as "Hat Stalls", where the Sorting Hat would take the time to go through their thoughts to place them in the best house possible.

This particular Hat Stall was certainly a first, in that it has been fifteen minutes since Harry Potter, The-Boy-Who-Lived got called forth to be sorted. He had been sitting there since then while the hat wiggled and shifted on his head, its expressions being the most number to date. The senior students were telling the first-years how unusual this case was to be taking so long, and while the younger years were starting to grumble from hunger, the older years were looking at this with fresh eyes, particularly the darker-aligned who were thinking that the boy in question may not be as simple as they had considered.

At the staff table, the opinions were varied. Some were curious as to what was going on in his mind, others were not too interested and more concerned about the others awaiting their turn. One's opinion was of the boy showing off like his father and making inconveniences for everyone.

For one Albus Dumbledore, this was not what he needed.

Dumbledore frowned at the boy whose back was turned to him and the hat covering his head. This was not what he had intended, the boy should be jumping at the opportunity to go to Gryffindor like his parents where he could be monitored and influenced by the old man's guidance. He would have thought that Hagrid's comments on Dark Wizards and the interactions between the Weasley and Malfoy would be sufficient to discourage the boy from Slytherin. Harry Potter having a Hat Stall would mean that the boy was more complicated than he needed to be, and that he could possibly be sent to Slytherin or other houses that would not allow the old wizard to spread his influence. Dumbledore had been planning for many years to have the boy prepare for his destiny and he would not let this stop him.

He would need to speed things up anyway, this sorting was taking too long and he was looking forward to the stew made by the house elves. Fingering his wand hidden in the robes, Dumbledore directed it at the Sorting Hat and began to push his magic through when the Sorting Hat straightened and turned to him suddenly.

**"******Trying to influence my sorting, Albus?"**** The question echoed loudly in the Great Hall as everyone directed their eyes at the old wizard who clearly did not expect the hat to call him out.

"No, my friend. Of course not." Dumbledore answered with a grandfatherly tone while his mind pondered on this odd behaviour.

**"******Uh-huh… Sure~"**** The drawl and tone from the hat made it clear that it did not believe his words, something that made a good many raised their eyebrows and looked at the old wizard with narrowed eyes. **"******It has been a while since I have one this complicated and interesting, and I will make sure to give this young one a good house. You will not interfere with this one like you have done a few other times before."**** That comment definitely got people's hackles up as the students looked to each other in disbelief at the fact that the headmaster would interfere with the sorting done for generations, while the staff looked at him with sharpened eyes. Dumbledore winced internally at the look on Minerva's face, he was going to need to do damage control quickly.

A bark of laughter drew everyone's attention back to the Sorting Hat which now adopted a very pleased expression.

**"******Oh my, it has been interesting. You, young lad, have quite the intriguing mindset. Your traits make you ideal for any of the houses, yet at the same time you would be restricted by said traits if you are in any of the houses. There is courage of a measured sort that Godric lacked. There is loyalty of a level Helga would be afraid of. There is intelligence that would please Rowena. And then, there is talent, oh yes~ and a thirst… to prove yourself worthy which would make Salazar quake his knees."**** The hat spoke out loud, its words sparking the imagination of everyone in the room, wondering how the hat would determine the boy's placement. **"******You are also untouched from the world's intentions, something I believe a certain someone is about to regret."**** Dumbledore winced again at that jab. **"******Yes, I have decided."**** With that proclamation, everyone leaned forward to listen as the Sorting Hat straightened up and opened its mouth to announce its decision…

**"******He gets his own house!"****

"WHAT!"


	13. Lily's Solution 2

**Disclaimer:**

I solemnly swear that the literature and works of the Harry Potter Verse belong to JK Rowling, Bloomberg and Warner Bros. The only thing I own are the one-shot ideas that popped into my head and whatever OCs I would create for them. This is a work of pure fiction made solely for fun, constructive reviews will be welcomed, flames will be ignored. Any references to characters in real-life or fiction are purely coincidental. If I could make money out of my ideas, it would be nice...

Mischief Managed Damn It!

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**Title:** Lily's Solution / Chapter 2

**Posted Date:** August 19 2020

**Tags:** Badass Lily Potter, Harry not going to Hogwarts, alternate schooling, Hogwarts standards failing, MOB Dumbledore, selective bashing / character death

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"Here you go, Missus Potter." The healer dressed in muggle paramedics' clothing gave Lily a potion to deal with the side-effects of the torture curse and included a pain-relief potion to handle her muscles. "I have managed to fix up your bones and heal your wounds to stop the bleeding. You have a minor concussion from the blast and likely your hits by the dark lord but that is easily remedied. You would need to take these two potions to remove the remaining effects of the curse on you, and I would advise that you hold off on using your magic for at least 2 days."

"Thank you." Lily cursed quietly as pain shot through her body again from the movement. "Can you tell me what is going on now?"

"To a certain extent." The healer gave an apologetic smile. "We have officers canvassing the area for any Death Eaters and setting up perimeters to keep everyone in or out of the premises. Lieutenant Hawkes is currently getting teams to go through your house to retrieve anything of value for you and to catalogue the evidence. You will be heading to a safe-house in a few moments to recover properly and whatever you would need to help your son. I am sorry for your loss, Madam."

"Thank you." Lily sighed heavily as the potions went through her body, easing the cramps that came about from the torture curse. She took the moment to assess the situation she was in, and what to do afterwards.

She was currently in an ambulance that was given the 'Tardis' treatment, whereby the interior had been expanded by at least five times to accommodate multiple patients and a team of fully equipped staff to help people on the go. The staff were part of a group that Derrick brought together to help with the operation to deal with the threat of Voldemort and (to a certain extent) Dumbledore, either muggle-born, half-bloods or squibs who were either cast out of the magical world due to blood status or left the world for other reasons. From what little Lily could tell based on the limited interaction, Derrick seemed to be quite high up on the totem pole to command a fair amount of respect.

The adrenaline was only just starting to come down from her fight, making her a touch lethargic, but Lily had asked for a Pepper-up Potion to keep herself going until the night was well and truly over. She had no doubt that Dumbledore was going to send someone to Godric's Hollow or even come himself to confirm her death and likely grab Harry. The thought of Harry going to someone who worshiped the ground of Dumbledore or worse her sister was almost too much for her heart to handle, only the fact that Derrick had channelled Alastor Moody to ensure Harry's safety was enough to regain some composure. She did not know why Dumbledore would want to pull this stunt to the point of illegally suppressing their wills and gaining control of their vaults, but she was hoping that Derrick's plans were not necessary.

Turns out his paranoia was spot on, and on a side note, she now knew that one could actually listen in on the secret being given and proper map reading to bypass the Fidelius Charm without necessarily being present. With the dark lord captured, their traitorous friend arrested and god knows what else, it was just a matter of other plans to be carried out by Derrick to get her and Harry safe.

And speak of the devil, Derrick just appeared at the doors of the ambulance, looking a little tired but still sharp to deal with the situation.

"Lily." Derrick climbed into the ambulance and made his way to her. "How are you feeling?"

"Not as bad as earlier." Lily answered before wincing at the pain going down her spine again. "At least I do not feel like having electricity flowing in me anymore. I really hate that stupid torture curse."

"Let's hope that is the last time." Derrick turned to the healer. "Diagnosis?"

"She is suffering from the after-effects of the torture curse, but I have granted her the potion to reduce the trembling and ease the pain. She has exhausted a fair amount of magic fighting along with injuries from the cuts or explosions. She would need to hold off on using her magic for at least a couple of days." The healer reported to Derrick.

"I see, is she able to move around a little?" The healer gave a quick check before giving a nod.

"As long as she does not aggravate herself too much and take the potion to ease the pain, she ca move around a little, but I would prefer to bring her to the safe house for a full and proper check-up."

"Good, in that case prepare to move out." Derrick told the healer before turning back to Lily. "My team has gotten your furniture and belongings out of the house, while James's body is being tended to as we speak. We are ready to head out, do you require anything before checking up on Harry?" Before Lily could answer, static filled the interior from the radio by his belt.

****[Lieutenant Hawkes, we have just detained 2 individuals claiming to know the Potters and are trying to force their way in.]****

Derrick shot Lily a look before grabbing the radio and raising it to his mouth. "Identities of the two?"

****[One Sirius Black and one Rubeus Hagrid. They are…]**** The speaker paused before continuing. ****[Sorry about that. Both of them are getting very rowdy and asking a few too many questions about the situation. Should we sedate them?]**** Something about the manner the man asked that question made Lily think that the word 'sedate' was a code word for 'permanent silencing' and made her look to Derrick for the answer.

"Negative, I will be on my way to meet them with a possible guest. Stand by." Derrick answered before replacing the radio and turning to her. "If you are mobile, maybe you can help me diffuse the situation. I do not know why Hagrid is here, but I can make an educated guess. And I really do not want Black on my case."

"Oh dear." Lily gave a wry smile. "Does the big military man slash hit-wizard fear the big black doggy?"

"This military man slash hit-wizard wants to hunt more bad guys instead of dealing with the mutt." Derrick answered with a straight face and a minor glare at the healer who was stifling his mouth to contain the laughter at their interaction. "Best to get this over with." Lily nodded and slowly got up, wincing from the pain going through her spine. In response, the healer brought forth the wheelchair and set her down in it while ignoring her protests. Derrick smirked at the pout she made, being reminded of the time she was under Madam Pomfrey's care while he gripped the handles and pushed her out by the ramp provided.

They did not take too long to get to the tent where Lily could hear arguments getting louder even with the drapes closed. Derrick paused at the entrance to look at her in the eye with a serious expression. "Lily, this might sound weird and cruel, but for the duration of this conversation, it might be best to pretend that James is currently fighting for his life in the ICU." Lily raised an eyebrow at him, drawing upon her years of experience with him to know that he was going somewhere with that statement risking her temper.

"I might understand Sirius Black being here considering as the decoy and Harry's godfather, he should have access to this location to get him to safety even if he does not know that Harry was nowhere near here. The problem is Hagrid, whom if I understand correctly does not know your location. That begs the question on how he knows where you are and why now."

"You believe that Hagrid was sent here by Dumbledore to collect Harry." Lily stated as a point of fact rather than a question.

"I do not mean offense to him, but Hagrid is gullible to the point that he would believe Dumbledore would conjure up rainbows from his beard if possible. Add in his loyalty to him, and you would have someone who would do whatever it takes to follow his orders. You being here alive and well might help to some extent but there is a small possibility that the old man could have told him to ignore you and grab Harry at whatever expense, or try to pull some law to force you to hand over Harry. I do not know about Black but he might not be in the best of mind with the stress. For now, I am focusing on getting Black cleared to ensure he does not get shafted by Dumbledore and ensuring Hagrid gets the message that you are the one to take care of Harry. If Black is on our side, the better." Derrick answered while checking his watch. "I have already alerted Crouch to arrive with his batch of Veritaserum, with any luck we can clear the air on this whole mess, make sure Sirius Black has the all clear and finalize your extraction."

"And if Dumbledore comes before that?" Lily asked knowing the tenacity of the old wizard.

"He is going to have a very unpleasant surprise." Derrick took a deep breath to steady himself before pulling back the flaps to enter, holding it to the side for her to enter.

"Lily!" The woman turned to find Sirius Black bound to a chair in one corner of the enlarged tent, with Rubeus Hagrid in a similar state at the other corner. Between them were ten men dressed in a style that Lily likened to people working in off-the-books black ops clothing, with the whole dark military slags, ski masks and automatic rifles in their arms with the addition of wand holsters. The weapons were equally split and pointed at the two individuals with clear intent to shoot if they tried to be aggressive. "Thank goodness you are safe! What happened to your legs! Where is Prongs and Prongs-let, and what the hell is going on here?!"

"Lily?" The half-giant blinked at her in surprise, looking almost comical in the manner he was bound to a chair looking a touch small for one his size. "You are alive? But Dumbledore said that you and James are dead." Lily held up a hand to get both of them to hold their words.

"First off, Sirius I am fine and Harry is safe, he was never around here to begin with. We got him elsewhere before this evening as we had suspected something was going to happen." Lily took a deep breath to steady herself. "James is currently undergoing surgery, he got hit by some of You-Know-Who's nastier curses. The healers are attempting to save him but it is touch and go." Sirius looked stricken at the news before growling.

"Peter, it has to be him! He is the only one who knows about the secret, he is the one who brought You-Know-Who here! I am going to kill him!"

"What are you rumbling about? You are the traitor Black!" Hagrid bellowed at Sirius with the soldiers raising their weapons and aiming them at the half-giant's head. "You are the Secret Keeper who led You-Know-Who to them, you tried to kill them! Dumbledore said so!"

"I am not the Secret-Keeper, Peter is the one! We switched the roles so that people would come after me instead! Dumbledore knows this, he cast the charm for us!" Black yelled back. "I can prove it once I have Peter's neck in my hands!"

"You need not do such a thing, Black." Derrick stepped forward to address the man, the soldiers taking a few steps back to let him through. "We currently have Peter Pettigrew in our custody, but we do need some confirmation from both sides." The sounds of static drew his hand to the radio and directed it to his ears, the message silent to all but him. Derrick spoke something to the handset before replacing it in the holster. "In fact, we are going to clear the air right now."

As though it was coordinated, the flaps of the tent were pulled back to let in Bartemius "Barty" Crouch Senior, Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody, and Amelia Susan Bones along with two other Aurors. All of them stopped at the sight of the two bounded in the chairs and the soldiers taking point. Crouch merely gave a quick glance before setting his eyes on Derrick with a raised eyebrow.

"Quite the reception, Mister Hawkes. What is the occasion?" Derrick waved a hand to Lily who immediately informed them of the evening's events, including the bit that Derrick had captured Voldemort and placed in a secured location and leaving out the bit of possible conspiracies and James being dead to keep matters going. The Aurors, Sirius and Hagrid looked at Derrick with shock and disbelief with the exception of Alastor Moody who looked proud at his accomplishment. Crouch nodded at both the statement and him before turning to Sirius, his eyes narrowing at the young man in question. Derrick knew this was risky considering how Crouch had a vendetta against plenty of the darker-aligned Houses and that he did not trust Black as much as he did with James Potter despite serving as one of the Aurors under his command. During the few conversations they have, Crouch had often commented that he was expecting the other shoe to drop when it came to Sirius Black, how his family would always hurt the Magical World like Bellatrix Lestrange.

Hopefully this would help to lower suspicions.

"I think I can understand why you wanted me to bring the items. You wish to have it on record to ensure no discrepancies." Crouch stated it as a point of fact.

"There is that, and also tonight's events have other parties involved that may want to capitalize on the matter." Derrick flicked his eyes and tilted his head lightly in the direction of Hagrid to give the indication. Crouch nodded and turned to the Aurors with him.

"Alastor, Anderson. Both of you help to conduct this interrogation with Black. Bones, you and Carter do the same with Pettigrew. I want every scrap of information you can get, even where they take a dump if you must." Crouch ordered the Aurors.

"Carl, please direct them to Pettigrew. Get Philip and his team to oversee the interrogation. Ensure Pettigrew is restrained and stable enough for the potion. If there are others found during the interrogation, make sure they are secured in case our guests wish to conduct the interview on the field." Derrick ordered the soldier at the entrance who saluted and proceeded to take the two Aurors in question to the man. Turning to Lily, he pointed a finger to the entrance to talk to her in private. With a quick push of her wheelchair and a flick of the finger, Derrick brought up a silencing ward.

"Lily, this could take a while. Depending on how things go, I would suggest you contact Alice and Frank about the situation." Derrick told her as he gave her a slip of paper while glancing at the Aurors preparing and the two 'guests' looking at them trying to listen in on their conversation. "Here is my permission slip. I will get one of my crew to take you to the communication tent for you to use any means to get them on the call. If you have something specific, I can get one of the others to bring you your belongings."

"Can I tell Alice about James?" Lily gripped his hand holding the paper. In response, Derrick knelt to her level while placing his other hand on hers gently, his eyes looking at hers directly.

"You may tell Alice the truth if need be as long as the communication is secured. As much details as possible in the shortest time, we do need to get Harry out quickly." Lily took another deep breath to gather herself from the situation and nodded before being assisted by Derrick's appointed soldier to leave the tent, pausing the soldier to give Derrick a tired smile and nod. Derrick directed one of his own and brought the ward down in time for the Aurors to finish setting up the quill and about to administer the Veritaserum to Sirius Black.

"Everything okay on your end?" Crouch asked, having noted the interaction while keeping focused on the proceedings.

"Just a lot of craziness." Derrick let out a tired sigh. "I so need a drink after this night." The Aurors all nodded as one at this statement, knowing the night was still young in the sense of dangers. With a motion of Crouch's hand, the Dicta-Quill hovered in the air and prepared to write the statements. Looking about him, Crouch directed a hard glare at Sirius Black before opening his mouth.

"This is an on-site interrogation of one Sirius Orion Black regarding the events of the attack on the Potter Family at Godric's Hollow, October 31st 1981. The interrogator performing…"

~ooOOoo~

"Okay, we will do that. Hope to see you soon." Alice placed the communication mirror down on the table from which she was talking with Lily and leaned back in her seat, letting out a sigh of relief and sadness. Dumbledore may have insisted that the two mothers not have communication with each other, but they both agreed that it was a bad idea, with Lily providing the means to do so. Alice took a few seconds to ask the security questions and a random incident to make sure it was Lily before talking to her. The news she got was not what she had expected to say the least.

"Was that good news from Lily?" Frank asked as he was walked in with his mother who had just popped in for a visit to ensure their safety.

"Mostly, with some bad." Alice sat back up and looked at them in the eye. "You-Know-Who showed up at the Potter's safehouse in Godric's Hollow along with Pettigrew who was apparently one of the spies leaking information to the other side. He was also the Secret Keeper for them."

"Oh goodness!" Augusta gripped her cane tightly as she processed that. "Are they all right?"

"Lily made it out alive. James... He got killed by You-Know-Who while buying time for Lily to get away." Alice paused to grab Frank who looked ready to faint from the news. Ensuring he was in his seat with a glass of water provided by their elf, Alice continued with her news. "Lily and James had concocted a plan in the event their location got compromised either through capture or sabotage. They were to ambush the dark lord at the safehouse while Harry is placed somewhere else for safety. It was a good thing they did so as the ambush got out of hand to say the least."

"I see." Augusta let out a heavy sigh, feeling in her bones how another young member of a well-known family dying before her. "I sensed there is more to this than that."

"Indeed." Alice nodded with a grim expression. "It appears our fears on Albus are coming true. If you recalled our last conversation, Lily had noted the odd compulsions on the both of them, and went to the goblins to undergo a cleansing ritual that saw many potions pushed out of their bodies and charms removed. Then just a few minutes after the attack before she called me, Hagrid appeared at the safehouse and clearly surprised to find her alive. Currently Lily is spreading the idea that James is alive but fighting for his life with healers trying to save him."

"Hang on, Hagrid?" Frank raised a hand to stop her. "How would he know where they are, and for that matter, why him?"

"Lily believes that Hagrid may be there on Albus's orders to claim Harry from the wreckage, hence his surprise to find Lily alive because he was told specifically that James and Lily were dead. Lily had also found monitoring spells on Harry that she definitely did not place on him, and with what she had warned me about their orb-wills being tempered, it was clear that Albus wished to take control of Harry and by extension the estate." Alice paused as Augusta growled at the statement, not surprised by her words considering the battle-axe did not trust the old wizard much on certain matters and felt that he was too meddling. "Lily is planning to leave soon but wanted us to check ourselves, our orb-wills and to increase our own defences as the ones provided by Albus seemed to have been compromised."

'Whether by outsiders or by his intent.' Those words were not necessarily added considering whom they were talking to. Augusta seemed ready to drag the two to get them cleansed before heading to Albus to give her a piece of her mind. Only the bit on Neville needing protection stayed her hand, at least on the latter and for the time being. She did however take out her wand and began casting spells at the two to check for any spells that were placed on them.

"We might need to check Neville as well if Harry has the monitoring charms." Frank recovered from the news and got his wits together. "Any ideas on our protections?"

"For that bit, Lily managed to get help from Croaker and an old friend." Alice smirked at the news she had gotten. "She got some crazy ideas from Derrick."

"Croaker and Derrick?" Frank blinked before wincing. "Okay, now I am not surprised that Lily got away from You-Know-Who. If anything, I almost pity the bastard for going up against them. Those two are nothing but sadistic when it comes to protecting people."

"Who is this Derrick?" Augusta asked curiously as she noted the compulsions on Frank with building anger.

"A muggle-born Ravenclaw in our batch. Derrick Hawkes is one of the few that Lily associates on a daily basis outside of the usual groups, and is someone that you do not want to be on his bad side." Frank started explaining to his mother. "Imagine a younger Alastor Moody with a touch of Barty Crouch Senior's ruthlessness and Croaker's craziness, with a training regime to give senior Aurors a headache and with enough arsenal from both magical and muggle to fight an army on his own. That is the general idea for him."

"He is the hit-wizard who has been hunting down Death Eaters for the past few months and gift-wrapping a few for Crouch and Moody." Alice explained further to Augusta who now had an expression of acknowledgement as she nodded.

"I have heard of someone acting as a liaison for the muggle government going to the trouble of handing over particular Death Eaters to Barty with their written confessions with Veritaserum, Pensieve memories and a list of possible associates." Augusta finished with her work and stood up straight as she considered their description of the acquaintance. "Barty and Alastor often commented on the individual like he was their son or the equivalent. Albus though wants him prosecuted for attacking the Death Eaters."

"I think they would like that very much." Frank chuckled lightly. "Alastor gets along with Derrick due to their shared ideas on 'Constant Vigilance' and how Derrick took down a few Death Eaters early on during our time in school with a few homemade explosives. Barty on the other hand likes to talk to him regarding security and politics between the two sides of Britain, and how he hopes to bring him under his wing. Albus does not appreciate Derrick's philosophy of dealing with enemies, which is stupid considering the number of people dropping to the ground on our side." Frank paused with a thoughtful look. "Lily called Derrick some name that evidently the muggle-borns would know when we were in school. A MacGyver?"

"Angus MacGyver, after a character from a muggle show that likes to come up with crazy ideas using everyday items to get out of situations." Alice answered the expressions on their faces. "Lily showed me a few episodes of that show, and I got hooked on it."

"I see." Augusta shook her head at whatever lunacy was going on. "Never mind all of that, what is more important right now is getting you two cleansed of potions and compulsions, and checking on Neville while I am at that."

"How bad?" Augusta handed the parchment to them, before grabbing the fire-whisky and pouring herself a big shot to consume in one big gulp, uncaring of the flame that was coming out of her nostrils. That alone clued the couple that she was in a very bad mood from the results she had found. They leaned together to read the parchment, and in a few moments, Alice's hair started repeating the same manner as Lily's just a few months ago.

"That bloody goat wanking son of a bitch!"

"Eloquent as always." Frank winced at both the volume and her choice of words, unknowingly doing the same thing as Derrick at the reaction. Alice on the other hand was growling with the parchment getting crumbled in her shaking hands. That old wizard really was trying to get them killed with the type of spells on them, and given what Lily had told her, there was a high chance that Dumbledore would try to get his hands-on Neville since Lily had already secreted Harry elsewhere and was going to hide herself in the process.

"You two will return with me to Longbottom Hall." Augusta turned to them with fire in her eyes. "I will be turning the war wards up to their maximum lethality. No one will be allowed to get in without my express permission, and even if someone tries to breech them, there are still the old tunnels leading out to the hillside. Get your secret keeper over here while I prepare the house. With what you have told me, chances are good that your keeper is now in bigger danger."

"Okay, let's get to it." Alice hung back briefly to get the communication mirror while Frank went with his mother to collect their belongings. Both of them were mentally berating themselves for letting themselves get influenced by Albus to select another person to be their secret keeper instead of Augusta, and were both hoping that the situation could be salvaged before matters got too far to be stopped.

~ooOOoo~

"Well, this is a cluster-fuck." Those were the first words that came out of Alastor's mouth as Derrick, Crouch and the Auror sat down on the chairs provided in the tent while being served coffee (Alastor refused on grounds of it being tempered. __CONSTANT VIGILANCE!__) The other Auror named Anderson had apparated back to the DMLE along with Amelia and Carter to get the records written out and prepare for the future trials that would come from Pettigrew's testimony. Said person was still in the custody of Derrick and his men since they have stronger protections and more importantly, no sympathizers to Voldemort.

Sirius Black was cleared of all suspicions of being a traitor who brought Voldemort to the Potters; Crouch was nothing if thorough despite his bias, and Alastor demonstrated his paranoia while questioning Sirius, with Anderson acting as the third unaffiliated party who threw in the odd question that some would dismiss until later in life. They covered any and all they could think of, proving beyond doubt that Sirius was a decoy chosen to cover Peter Pettigrew, who was the real Secret Keeper who had betrayed that trust to Voldemort, and that Dumbledore knew very well about it.

Hagrid had listened to the interrogation and was clearly torn between the truth being spoken and his loyalty to Dumbledore. It probably did not help hearing how the old man had known about the identity of the keeper and kept it silent, and assumed that Lily and James were dead (they were only half right but they did not need to know it yet) and thus sent him to grab Harry. From the half-giant's interrogation, Derrick and Lily who had finished her call with Alice, heard what the old man had told him to do and where to bring him. The moment Lily heard that Dumbledore had planned to bring Harry to Petunia against her expressed wishes, Lily figuratively exploded on the half-giant.

It was with mild amusement that Derrick noted how every other men and himself in the tent took a few steps back as the half-giant who towered over everyone got cowed by a young woman who was in a wheelchair as she lit into him for trying to take her son away without bothering to get his facts straight and just blindly following Dumbledore without question. No matter if one is a hardened soldier, the head of the DMLE, or a paranoid Auror, no men would dare to take on a woman who was this high strung from a fight. It was a good seven minutes of scolding and biting remarks until Lily let up, and Hagrid looked like he wanted to just curl up on the ground and weep from the words issued. Sirius Black looked ready to crap his pants, the Aurors wanted to run away in terror, his men wanted to barricade themselves with whatever arsenal they have.

As for him, Derrick felt so glad that it was not targeted at him, and oddly enough, he felt a touch turned on at the sight of her going on like that.

Hagrid had departed after that, while Sirius stayed with Lily, partially enforced by Derrick to make sure she was safe and had someone familiar around her, something that nearly came to blows since Sirius wanted to see James without knowing that he was already deceased. Derrick had to grab the man's collar, pulled him down and stated clearly and in a deadly tone that Lily and Harry needed him more than ever and if he tried to leave without letting anyone know or bothering to protect Lily, Derrick would make sure he stays put in a cell.

Now Lily was making arrangements to get Harry with Sirius and a few of Derrick's men to assist with the extraction. Time was key and Derrick had a bad feeling that things was going to get worse if they dally too long.

"That is putting it lightly, Alastor." Crouch rubbed his eyes while accepting the coffee provided. His eyes glanced over to the copies of the interrogation performed on Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew, a big frown appearing on his face. "This is going to be a mess and a half." He then took a big gulp of the coffee, ignoring the scalding heat down his throat. "This is going to kill his mother." He muttered softly likely for his own ears, but the other two heard him.

"Apologies to you sir. I don't know the feeling since I am not a father, but I would think it is not something any should experience." Derrick gave his condolence with Alastor nodding in tandem. During the interrogation of Peter Pettigrew, he threw out names of all who had taken up the mark, one of whom was a shock to the Aurors and an unpleasant surprise to the father in question. Crouch looked at the two with thinning lips before shaking his head with a sigh.

"I appreciate the concern, but the moment he took up the mark, he ceased being my son." Crouch took another gulp of the drink. "One thing I will at least make sure is to pump him with Veritaserum to understand why."

"Might as well do the same for every one of those murdering bastards." Alastor stated as a matter of fact with Derrick nodding to give his approval. "We already have Peter Pettigrew interviewed; we need to get the rest so that we can clear out the mess."

"I am reluctant to suggest this, but have this situation as an example to push for Veritaserum to be used for all the Death Eaters and perhaps future trials." Derrick voiced out his opinion. "As bigoted as it sounds, sound out the idea that Voldemort" - Derrick barely managed to restrain rolling his eyes at their flinching of the name; he had already told them that with the wards and heavy-duty silencing charms along with the special taboo-lifting charms applied to the entire area, they could afford to say his name out loud for convenience - "has attacked a pure-blood family with the intent to end a family line. Point out the bit about him being hypocritical by going against what he preaches on saving pure-bloods along with his crimes. I do have something to help out with that if need be."

"Speaking about the Dark Lord, what are you doing with him?" Alastor turned to him, both eyes set on him.

"He is currently enjoying his hospitality in Tartarus Hel, a prison built to house some of the worst dark wizards around." Derrick answered as he sipped his drink. "Unlike Azkaban, we do not rely on the Dementors. We have a mixed force of wizards and squibs, all trained in the muggle military. At the same time, our prison utilizes the latest technology for security, a new branch of magic and a touch of old school methods to ensure that anyone even thinking of breaking in or escaping will be having a big headache. Add in the fact it is in a secret location that has been charmed to stop us from telling anyone, and it is pretty well defended."

"Will that be enough?" Crouch's question brought a snort from Derrick.

"There is no such thing as a perfect prison, no matter what people claim. It just means no one has yet to discover a way to break in or out of it. Azkaban may have Dementors, but it has been proven with Voldemort that with the right incentive, the Dementors could turn on you. Tartarus Hel utilizes different methods to ensure the prisoners stay there and have their movements tracked while maintaining some humanity, and in the event of a prison breakout, there are contingencies to stop them from leaving, even if it means gassing the entire facility."

"Gassing?" Crouch blinked.

"I believe the lad means to unleash a gas or an aerosol draught to either knock the prisoners out, or make the prison a giant graveyard." Alastor answered while nodding in approval at the precautions. It was as cruel and arguably inhumane as it was ruthlessly efficient if one had to ensure the worst of the worst do not leave. Crouch tilted his head before nodding his own head at the method.

"But for Voldemort's case, there is the added issue of him claiming to have achieved immortality." Derrick continued while the two Aurors choked on their drinks at the words. "He was very confident that he would outlast all of us to get Britain under his thumb. For any other wizard, I would just dismiss such a claim, but with him, there is a good possibility that he has done such a thing."

"So, what do you have up on your board of plans?" Alastor raised an eyebrow. "I highly doubt you could hope to throw him into a cell and forget the key."

"Considering how Voldemort boasted about it, I can deduce a few methods of him gaining immortality. Given his mindset, he would go for the biggest safeguards around." Derrick swirled his drink before continuing. "A part of me is hoping that he is just bluffing, because if he were to go for those types, it just proves how depraved humanity can become given the right incentive."

"You can't stop bastards like him from sprouting, no matter how much one tries." Alastor commented as he drank from his flask. "Least we can do is to ensure the next bastard does not get ideas to be even worse."

"I suppose so." Derrick sighed.

"Now for a question not really related to this." Alastor placed his flask down on the desk. "When will you release the news of James Potter's death?" Derrick managed to maintain his expression while glancing at Crouch who raised an eyebrow at him.

"It was kind of obvious to say the least." Crouch shrugged. "If it was you doing the explanation, I would probably have believed it. Lady Potter is a good story teller, but lying under pressure and pain is not her strong point. Hence why I wanted Moody to conduct the interrogation with Black as people would likely believe him more with his paranoia, while getting Bones to do the same with Pettigrew ensures that she can be believed along with not checking on you. Furthermore, there was a body bag I saw on the way in and judging from the remains of the front pouch and your action of keeping Black with Lily, there was a good chance it was James Potter."

"And if I know your method kid, you wanted to keep Lily and Harry safe, hence the cover-up." Alastor took over while looking at Derrick. "I recognized your traps and Lily's story checks out. You did that based on Hagrid's appearance."

Derrick let out a heavy sigh while scratching his hair, mentally grimacing at the grit in his hair. He figured of the people in the tent, these two would be able to identify the flaws well enough. "I am not sure how much I am allowed to tell you due to the oddities. Lily had told me about the situation of her family and the Longbottoms going into hiding because of Voldemort coming after them." Derrick looked at the both of them in eye grimly. "I can say that Dumbledore has a very unusual interest to get the two families 'protected' by isolating them from contact and to keep a firm grip on whatever information they could get without letting them leave the country. Based on the information granted, Dumbledore is fixated on the children of the two families."

"What does Dumbledore want from the kids?" Crouch frowned at the oddity of the words.

"Again, I am not sure what to tell you. Lily could tell you two more." Derrick paused before nonchalantly adding "Or perhaps a certain Unspeakable Boss man could give you a clue?" Judging from the smirks from both, they got the message. "In any case, Dumbledore has evidently tried to gained control of the Potter estate with… questionable means and is looking to Harry as a possible pawn, which is why Lily is trying to spread the story of James being alive long enough to get the both of them out of the country. I am not too certain if the same could be said about the Longbottoms, but I do know that certain artefacts belonging to them have gone missing around the time they went into hiding, curiously that was when Dumbledore was dealing with the Potters."

"Damn it, Albus." Alastor took another swig of his flask only to get annoyed at the lack of liquid left in it. With a shake of his head and a flick of his wand, Alastor checked the coffee before consuming it, ignoring the minor glare from the other soldier guarding them, much to Derrick's private amusement. "I might know enough about the possible reason for placing them in isolation, but the bit on getting to their sons and their estates, that is a first."

"Indeed." Crouch looked at Derrick in the eye and asked in a serious tone. "I may not be a fan of Albus myself, but you do realize that such an accusation would be very dangerous to a man like Albus Dumbledore, and you would need like a crap-ton worth of evidence to prove it."

"Well then…."

_'___THUMP!'__ The cups jingled and warbled as a thick folder of papers hit the table with Derrick smirking lightly. "Good thing I come prepared with the first folder. Moody has his constant vigilance, I have mine." The two Aurors blinked at the thickness of the folder matching the height of the cups provided before looking to each other.

"I am too old for this shit." Alastor announced before grabbing the drink and gulping the entire lot. Crouch merely introduced his hand to his face.

****[BZZT!**** ****Lieutenant Hawkes, we have a situation at the perimeter entrance.] ****The radio at Derrick's hip blared, startling the two Aurors and prompting Alastor to bring out his wand. Derrick grabbed the radio and brought it to his mouth. "What is the matter?"

****[We have an intruder at the entrance trying to stop Lady Potter and Sirius Black from leaving. It's… Well, a man who looks like Gandalf with serious colour blindness and questionable dress sense.]**** That got all the men in the tent looking at each other with blank faces.

"Dumbledore?" Derrick quirked an eyebrow.

"Dumbledore." Crouch and Alastor answered at the same time.

"On my way. Make sure he does not use his wand." Derrick got up, grabbed the folder, shrunk it to his pocket and made his way out quickly of the tent, followed shortly by Crouch and Alastor. "Something tells me that you guys might get some of your questions answered soon if Dumbledore pushes Lily's buttons. Try to act natural as though she had already told us about them or something." The two guests nodded as they followed him to the entrance, not that they needed directions considering the sounds of altercation were close by and getting louder towards their arrival.

_"___Lily, you must listen to reason."__

_"___Me listen to reason? That is rich coming from you who is ignoring everything I have been saying and trying to blame the wrong people!"__

_"___Bet you did not like how I am here huh, you bloody goat? Hoping that I get arrested for playing decoy!"__

_"___Please my boy, I am just…"__

"What is going on here?" Derrick announced their arrival as the trio came across Lily and Sirius Black getting accosted by Albus Dumbledore with the soldiers keeping them apart and aiming their weapons at the two males of the group. The old wizard was as usual wearing robes with eye-watering colours and seemed to be trying to get close to Lily only to be stopped by the soldier he had assigned for her protection. The old wizard frowned at his arrival before getting surprised at the added appearance of Alastor Moody and Barty Crouch, both of whom were looking at him with narrowed eyes.

"Mister Hawkes." Dumbledore straightened himself while directing an expression that Derrick had dubbed the 'Furious Grandfather Disappointed in You' at him. "What is the meaning of this? Why are all these people here?"

"Not that it is any of your business, but this is an operation to deal with Voldemort and his Death Eaters." Derrick answered while keeping his eye on the old man's eyebrows to prevent mind reading. "We have managed to capture the Dark Wizard Lord Voldemort and one of his spies, Peter Pettigrew, while eliminating a couple of other Death Eaters in the vicinity. The two of them are now in custody and awaiting their trials, courtesy of her Royal Majesty."

"How is that possible?" The wizard turned to Lily with narrowed eyes. "Lily, you told him the location?!"

"I did not tell him, but it is a good thing I got his help, considering that it was thanks to him and his crew that we survived and You-Know-Who is getting karma introduced to him." Lily growled. "Not to mention getting proof that Peter was the traitor among our group. No thanks to you."

"Where is Harry? We must get him to safety." Dumbledore brushed it aside, making Derrick, Alastor and Crouch narrowed their eyes at his words and change of topic. "And why did those men have to be killed? They could have been brought back to the light and be redeemed."

"Those men have tried to take hostages when they realized the master was gone and they could not leave the area." Derrick answered while keeping an eye on Sirius who looked ready to tear into Dumbledore. "Considering there were innocents involved, it was an easy choice to eliminate them. As for Harry, why on earth would you want to know about him?"

"Because he is The-Boy-Who-Lived, and he must be hidden to keep him safe. I suggest you give him to me and I will deliver him to a muggle family to grow up without fame, so he cannot be influenced by it…" Dumbledore started talking only to be interrupted by an incredulous Derrick who clearly had enough of the bullshit sprouted by the old man.

"What the fuck are you talking about? Boy who lived? The kid was nowhere near Godric's Hollow when Voldemort showed up," Derrick stepped forward with a glare that could be felt even from behind his shades. "The plan was made such that Voldemort would get ambushed while the kid is safe in a secret location under strong protections."

Dumbledore blinked in confusion and his glasses stopped twinkling, "What do you mean he wasn't here, my charms on…"

"You mean the charms James and I removed from Harry and placed on his toy bear? I knew you have something to do with them considering I did not recognize the spells on him. As to where he is, he has been spending the past few days at my friend's home, safe from Voldemort and quite evidently yourself." Lily suddenly launched from her wheelchair and delivered the mother of all slaps at Dumbledore which caught him on his left cheek, causing his glasses to go flying, "You think I'd allow you to take him to my sister's house? I don't bloody think so, you wrinkly old fart!"

"Lily, you know that…"

"That is Lady Lily Potter, of the Most Ancient and Noble House of Potter!" Sirius Black demanded sharply, displaying the teachings and mannerisms of a pure-blood. "You have best answer the question properly, Albus Dumbledore." That clearly rankled the old wizard, and Derrick subtly placed a hand on his sidearm as he watched the old wizard's arm twitched to where his wand would be.

"What do you mean by that?" Dumbledore then gasped as Lily raised a hand with a certain ring on her finger.

"James Potter had taken up his ring as Lord Potter, with Lily becoming Lady Potter. This means she now wields the same level of power as James to demand satisfaction." Derrick spoke while mentally enjoying the look on Dumbledore's face. "You know, it is funny. James and Lily were checking on some matters while getting their respective positions, and then they found out about their orb-wills being held back by a hand-written will that gave directions and instructions contrary to their wishes. A good thing they went to check, they got that forgery removed. Last I heard, the goblins are not happy and they intended to demonstrate their dissatisfaction to the person who had dared to lie and attempt to steal from their clients and the bank itself." Derrick then let out a blood thirsty smirk. "You wouldn't happen to know about that, do you? After all, you were a key witness to their wills and the one who executed the Fidelius Charm."

Dumbledore gulped before turning to Lily, making an effort to ignore Derrick and the others staring at him "Lily, it was for the Greater Good for James to not take up the position as head of house. I understand this is a trialling time what with James being injured, but you should not need to burden yourself with that power. Your family must be kept safe, not wandering about the ministry where they could become a target. Voldemort is not dead and Harry must be kept safe. Now I suggest we grab James and Harry, then get you all to come with me, and I'll hide you in a new location…"

"Wow, he is really thick." One of the soldiers muttered deliberately loud while another twisted his head to cough, notably with the word 'bullshit' evident in between. The other soldiers managed to maintain some form of decorum even if it was clear that they were struggling to smirk.

"Dumbledore, you have overstepped your boundaries for this night." Lily growled not unlike a tiger, her hair beginning to stand up from the static of her building magic. "You insist on keeping your secrets until we forced them out of you, you try to override our orb-wills and then attempt to kidnap my son. What the fuck are you planning to do to him, make him an idol for your precious prophecy?!"

"Lily, I would prefer to have this conversation in private." Dumbledore glanced at all the soldiers and more importantly at Crouch and Alastor. Lily was not going to have that.

"A little late to do that since you are doing this in the open. Derrick already knows about the prophecy that got us and the Longbottoms into hiding, and it is his ideas that had helped to capture Voldemort and one of his spies in one night, while yours seems intent to get us killed and take control of Harry!" Lily screamed at him with spit coming out in her rage, "and it is a good thing James and I have listened to him since you have a bloody fixation on my Harry! For all I know, either you wanted us all dead, or you wanted Harry to live just enough before getting himself killed in a fight with Voldemort."

"Indeed." Crouch spoke for the first time with hard eyes on Dumbledore. "Mister Hawkes has already informed me on some aspects of this operation, and he made sure to relay the important bits that apparently you did not bother to inform anyone, vital information that could have helped end this war faster. This conversation just confirmed a few things that I was not certain of in the beginning." He turned to Derrick in a manner that spoke of snubbing Dumbledore. "I understand that the parliament from the muggle government is open to aiding us?"

"More than that." Derrick took out a slip of paper that bore a particular of arms which made the muggle-borns in the group straightened themselves up and Lily to softly gasp in recognition. "This is a Royal Decree written out by Her Majesty in accordance to the treaty that was written out in the late seventeen hundred. In effect, she is granting you cart blanche to apprehend and interrogate Death Eaters with truth serum. She understands that plenty of them are high up in society with deep pockets and big connections, and knowing that you wish to end this war quickly, she has this written out to ensure you can do so without interference." The fact that Derrick emphasized the last word while flicking an eye at Dumbledore spoke greatly of whom he felt was the biggest factor for the duration of this war. "All she asks is that anyone you arrest must be granted a trial, be given the truth serum, and be asked a series of questions. Those who are guilty of crimes like rape and murder are to be eliminated. No exceptions." The smiles on Crouch and Alastor could be described as predatory like sharks or wolves that had scented blood, while the paling face of Dumbledore made it looked like he wanted to bend over and suffer a heart attack.

Was it bad that Derrick wanted that to happen at the moment?

"You cannot just arrest anyone you want!" Dumbledore said and then added, "Besides they need to be shown the light, and turned back from the dark. It's for the Greater Good." It certainly said something about him that everyone around him collectively rolled their eyes outwardly or inwardly at the statement.

"You're a god damn idiot!" Derrick said as he listened to this man talk, "One doesn't 'play nice' with terrorists. You put them down hard if they resist, or incarcerate them for life if they surrender. That much the mundane, first-generations and even the Squibs you guys throw out understand them perfectly."

"But… How can they be led back to the light if we do that?" Dumbledore blurted out, angry at the man who was once a student of his establishment disrespecting him all the way.

"Like I said before, you're an idiot. You worry so much for the attackers, yet care so little for the victims. Now, I don't think you're needed here," Derrick said as he turned to Sirius and Lily. "Right then, time is wasting. We have best to get you out of here to our safe-house, from which you can gather Harry."

"Perhaps I can come along?" Dumbledore tried to step forward only for the soldiers to get between him and Lily.

"Sir, you have been told multiple times that you are trespassing and harassing the lieutenant's guests." The soldier closest to Dumbledore gripped his gun tighter while answering him slowly. "You do not have authorization to come here and do whatever you want. And you have disrespected our officer. This is your final warning." For added effect, the men around them cocked their weapons and aimed at Dumbledore as one.

Dumbledore frowned before turning to Lily, "Voldemort cannot be killed, he has done several rituals to prolong his life."

"We know that already. Derrick has already captured him and has ideas on what was done to prolong his lifespan." Lily replied in a very deadpan tone, something that made Sirius having an unsuccessful attempt to contain his smirk. "Considering his track record, I say that he has a good chance at getting that knowledge. Now, please leave, Dumbledore. You're no longer welcome on any property owned by the Most Ancient and Noble House of Potter, as of this day." Dumbledore clearly wanted to say something but her ring shone brightly to signify magic agreeing with her decision while the soldiers all took one step forward with the weapons still pointed at him.

"Very well, Lily. I will leave you alone for now. Clearly the stress is getting to you, I will return when your mind has calmed down." Dumbledore declared in the disappointed grandfather tone before twisting and apparating away. Sirius let out a sigh and opened his mouth when Derrick held up a hand to keep him quiet.

"Men, Charms Check." Derrick pulled out his wand and cast a spell that produced a mist settling on him, making his body glow a light green. The other soldiers did the same to themselves while Derrick turned to Lily. "I need to check for tracking charms, so hold on." Sirius started before palming his face, muttering that he should have thought of that. Derrick did the charm and frowned as Lily glowed a dull orange along with parts of the wheelchair and Sirius's coat.

"I thought he gave up too quickly." Derrick removed the charms before pulling out an amulet and handing it to her. The sound of glass breaking appeared briefly when she touched it before the amulet glowed green. "There, done. You do the same, Black."

"Good idea, Hawkes. Constant Vigilance!" Alastor yelled out his favourite phrase as he cleared himself of tracking and listening charms.

"Indeed." Crouch looked at the Royal Decree in his hand before turning to Derrick. "I will push for the trials and follow your idea about getting the Veritaserum on those Death Eaters. You might need to get young Harry Potter out of the country considering how desperate Albus is pushing for him."

"I will be delivering Lily and Black to the safe-house, from there they can collect Harry." Derrick nodded before frowning and leaning forward to speak quietly. "Barty, this might be an odd idea, but regarding that particular name in the list we talked of earlier, best to get him out of the way as soon as possible. If we got the names from Pettigrew, chances are good that Dumbledore knows them as well from his spies. And considering the idea of getting those Death Eaters out for good…"

"You think he might try blackmailing me?" Crouch gripped the document a little tighter. Derrick nodded in tandem with Alastor. Crouch sighed heavily before looking back at him. "You might have a point; I should get it over with before Albus tries something to forestall us."

"I will be with him, Hawkes. Best to help the lass get the boy out." Alastor placed a hand heavily on Derrick's shoulder. "If you can get a message to the Longbottoms, tell them to stay hidden until granted the all clear." Derrick nodded in reply and watched at the two Aurors went out of the entrance and apparated back to the Ministry. He then turned to face Lily and Sirius.

"You two go and grab a bite. My men are finishing up, we will move together to the safe-house, and then we grab Harry." Derrick pointed to Sirius. "I need you to check through some of the items from the house, there might be something that Dumbledore may have wanted to grab when he came. Anything that could have been used to avoid this attack, make a list." Sirius hesitated before moving towards Godric's Hollow accompanied by two of Derrick's soldiers. Derrick paused to lean towards Lily. "Lily, when we get to the safe-house, you might need to break the news to Black on James's situation. Whether it is when you get to the safe-house or after getting Harry. I would leave it to you."

"I know." Lily seemed to slump in her wheelchair. "I just do not know if I can handle this long enough."

"Hang on for Harry then. We grab him and get out. Barty and his Aurors should be able to get those Death Eaters into cells and hopefully Dumbledore off our tails." Derrick placed a hand on her shoulder briefly before straightening up. "Let's get moving."


End file.
